With every advance in technology, products and information to keep up on, it can be hard to know which options are actually the best for your practice and your patients. That’s where four regional account managers from MacuHealth say that eye care professionals should trust the science.
MacuHealth products are backed evidence-based findings published in peer-reviewed studies. Better still, they say, MacuHealth provides not only the product but the support to help practice staff and doctors introduce these supplements efficiently and profitably into their practices.
As account managers, Kirsten Ormsby, Claire Brinkman, Brittney Rushton and Anitra Eckes each focus on a different region in the nation. However, their conversations with accounts often focus on the main FAQs: what MacuHealth products are and how they can help differentiate a practice and help patients’ ocular health.
MacuHealth offers its triple carotenoid formula with specific and science-backed levels of lutein, zeaxanthin and meso-zeaxanthin, as well as the AREDS2-like formula for MacuHealth Plus for those already diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration. VitreousHealth is a newer formula designed to help minimize floaters. Vizion Edge ECP offers a high level of antioxidants to help improve visual performance, reduce eye fatigue and improve contrast sensitivity for athletes and other younger adults. Rounding out the offerings is the TG-Omega 3 formula.
THE SCIENCE
“We focus on helping accounts to have access to innovations and research on nutritional supplementation for ocular health,” says Ormsby. Brinkman agrees that they stand by “science and objective data,” highlighting the company’s focus on patient care.
Not all supplements are created equal, Rushton says, and misinformation seems to be everywhere. “Picking up something from a well-known store doesn’t mean that it’s the best for the patient,” she says.
Eckes says the science proves itself in most patients early on. Dry eye symptoms have been alleviated or disappeared completely, and some patients with progressive diagnoses such as age-related macular degeneration have seen the progression slow down or stop. Night-driving complaints have lessened as well, thanks to MacuHealth’s carotenoid formula.
BEST STRATEGIES
Any time that practices add a new product or service, there’s a learning curve for doctors and staff who need to work out the presentation. “We want the onboarding support to make doctors feel excited and empowered,” Rushton says. “We know doctors juggle a lot of different hats. Our focus in on helping them.” The field sales team has vast experience in some of the best strategies that make this easier.
It’s not a one-and-done sales meeting, Rushton says. Account managers are also available by phone and email, and they are quick to return calls or offer advice or answers. Ormsby encourages doctors and staff to reach out, whether it’s to ask a question about presentations to patients or whether the product mix is ideal for a changing demographic, for example. “Doctors can rely on us,” Ormsby says.
Ormsby says practices connect with a person at MacuHealth—not an automated system—where team members can ask questions or discuss products. “There is a lot of misinformation out there, and that can be a barrier to patient care,” Ormsby says. “We can provide high-quality, pharmaceutical-grade supplements to doctors and give them a deeper understanding of the product. It helps both them and their patients.”
Eckes also agrees that accounts can differentiate themselves among competitors by keeping products in stock for patients to take home, and by being able to discuss the product to the patient in a comprehensive way.
“Most practices can find a use for our products, but everything may not be appropriate for everybody,” Eckes says. “We have an in-depth conversation with doctors to understand their specialty, and we can help provide and integrate information from our end into their practice.”
“We can help make sure that revenue stays in your practice,” Ormsby says.
“We spend a significant amount of time as a company ensuring that everyone on your team has a comprehensive understanding of the science and studies behind a product,” Ormsby says. Rushton calls the volume of information available a barrier to entry. “People don’t know who to trust. So we want doctors and staff to know that everything we share is backed by third-party validation in peer-previewed journals. Plus, we’ll help staff understand how to talk about it.” MacuHealth, she says, doesn’t just manufacture high-grade nutritional formula, we also bring this support system right to the practice.”
