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Those ECPs who are successful in integrating nutraceuticals into their practice have done so because they did their due diligence in partnering with a nutritional provider.

Not all forms of eye nutrients are created equal. Legitimate providers need to back up quality claims about their manufacturing processes and ingredients. Products should be processed in facilities that adhere to Good Manufacturing Practices, which are FDA-enforced guidelines that assure dietary supplements have the identity, strength, composition, quality and purity that appear on their labels.

ECPs are strongly encouraged to choose an evidence-based nutraceutical provider that can provide scientific monographs for its formulations. “Many patients nowadays are savvy about nutrition and want to understand the evidence and scientific backing,” ScienceBased Health’s Pamela Damsen said. “Patients also get a lot of information and misinformation on the internet, so having scientific facts to back up product recommendations is important.”

Providers should also offer necessary training support, such as on-site staff training sessions for practices. Enlisting staff support is essential in ensuring that the various facets of an ECP’s nutritional program work. For example, a point person should be designated to handle the logistics of pricing, obtaining the products and other aspects of getting a patient started.

Help patients make the connection between nutrition and eye health by displaying books, magazines, posters and brochures about nutrition.

The American Optometric Association has an entire section on its marketplace page ( www.aoa.org/marketplace) devoted to nutrition resources.

ZeaVision’s EyePromise blog ( www.eyepromise.com/doctors/blog/) features tips and research about ocular nutrition. The company also offers a free e-book about how nutrition affects eye health ( http://explore.eyepromise.com/eyepromise-celebrates-healthy-aging-month).

Laurie Capogna, OD, co-author, Eyefoods: A Food Plan for Healthy Eyes, suggests creating a retail display for supplements and nutrition books. “All you need is one or two shelves of space to create an eye-catching display. Group supplements with other items that promote ocular wellness such as sunglasses, photochromic lenses and lenses that filter blue light,” she said.

ECPs should believe in the products. First-hand experience is an effective way to endorse the recommended products.

ECPs need to be prepared to justify why the products they recommend are more expensive than those in discount stores. Patients can get distracted by price, choosing a lower cost product believed to be comparable to the recommended product. By partnering with a nutritional provider that offers a high value/price ratio on its products, ECPs can provide a valid explanation: a higher price means higher quality ingredients for a higher efficacy than those lower quality, lower priced products in the drugstore.