Dr. Resnick using the Zx Pro™ MPOD measurement device to determine whether the patient could benefit from nutritional supplements from EyePromise®. Dr. Resnick says this nutraceutical system has elevated both patient care and profitability.
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By Susan Resnick, OD, FAAO, FSLS
July 17, 2024
A few years after the AREDS studies were published, our practice decided to move to a more proactive approach for managing our patients’ macular health. The recognition of nutrition’s role in eye health provided by these studies evolved to include the prescription and sale of nutraceuticals.
We’ve been fortunate to partner with EyePromise®, who provides us with a system that includes a diagnostic and the therapeutic – everything we need to help safeguard our patients’ eye health!
Scientifically Proven Formulations
Our practice has a strong legacy of early, well-vetted adoption of emerging technologies. Committed to early intervention and the premise that micronutrient supplementation enhances antioxidant defense and might prevent/retard/modify AMD, we chose to partner with EyePromise for three important reasons.
First, we were impressed with the scientific studies supporting their products, ingredient sourcing and comprehensive portfolio. EyePromise products are the only nutraceuticals that deliver the natural ratio of dietary zeaxanthin to lutein found in the fovea (the center of the macula), which is 2:1. Additionally, ongoing research has demonstrated a positive correlation between increased levels of dietary zeaxanthin and lutein and cognitive health.
Second, we valued the ability to not only prescribe the supplements, but actively measure the health, or density, of macular pigment on a routine basis. It was important to us that we had a direct measure of the retinal pigments, and EyePromise provides a well-documented and trusted method for measuring macular pigment optical density (MPOD).
Lastly, our staff found the administrative components of implementing this system (the Zea Performance System™) to be easy and seamless. The EyePromise team thoroughly trained our doctors and staff, and their intuitive digital platform simplified our process.
Improving the Ability to Quantify the Need for Nutraceutical Supplementation
With the recent introduction of the Zx Pro™ MPOD measurement device, our ability to educate patients was greatly enhanced. Our capture rate of EyePromise sales is on a trajectory to double.
The portable Zx Pro allows us to conduct more “on the spot testing” without concerns about a logjam in our pretesting room. We can conduct the measurement right in the exam room as we are finishing our standard exam and prior to dilating.
Discussing the results in coordination with other testing such as fundus evaluation and OCT is instrumental in providing comprehensive clinical management along with the patient’s family and personal history, lifestyle and examination findings. This approach is invaluable in promoting patients’ buy-in to doctor recommendations and improving overall adherence.
One of the most attractive features of the EyePromise portfolio is their product differentiation. They offer “condition-specific” formulas, and their wide array of products enable a personalized prescribing approach.
For example, for those patients already taking a multitude of vitamins, we prescribe EyePromise Zeaxanthin + Lutein, free of possible “duplicative” ingredients. For patients already manifesting clinical signs of macular degeneration, we choose from the AREDS 2-based formulas, Macular Health and Macular Health Complete.
ROI
While our motivation to prescribe EyePromise is to provide the highest level of patient care, we appreciate the financial value that the Zea Performance System has to offer.
The Auto Refill Program (ARP) takes care of shipping and handling, patient education and adherence, and ensures that our practice receives referral credit for every bottle ordered. We also keep limited inventory in the office for patients still wishing to “carry their products home.”
Our financial metrics had followed a predictable initial growth curve early on, with subsequent plateauing due to perceived increases in doctor and staff time for MPOD testing as we added doctors and patients. We also lost about 25 percent of subsequent nutraceutical sales to poor patient adherence. That curve now goes in the opposite direction, as we’re experiencing a significant upswing over the past few years because of the increased testing capability with the Zx Pro and our focus on routinely enrolling patients in ARP.
Conservatively, our approximate numbers look like this:
- Prior to the Zx Pro and ARP: 2 patients per day generating $24,000+ annually.
- Currently and growing: 3-4 patients per day generating $36,000 – $48,000+ annually.
- We currently lay out approximately $12,000 for our in-office product supply, which we earn good margins on.
- The initial investment in the Zx Pro was negated by a limited inventory product purchase.
Our EyePromise representatives have fully supported us from day one. They conduct educational lunches with our office for doctors, administrators and technicians on an ongoing basis. These full-team trainings occur both when new products are launched, for periodic “refresher” sessions, and when new team members are onboarded.
Educating Patients & Taking Nutraceuticals to the Next Level
When discussing proactive approaches to ocular health with patients, and always when prescribing nutraceuticals, we emphasize:
- There is no substitute for a proper diet high in fruits and vegetables.
- Supplementation is a way to enhance a healthy diet and lifestyle.
- No vitamin can absolutely prevent or cure disease.
We found that the “marketing” of EyePromise, as with virtually all our services and products, is most effective in the exam room via doctor-patient discussion. In each exam room, we keep a small “display” of EyePromise products visible to the patient and the doctor. This serves the dual purpose of reminding the doctor to initiate relevant conversation during the exam and, even more frequently, sparking interest for the patient to ask about the products first!
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Moving forward, our prescribing will not be limited to age-related ocular health and nutrition. Encouraged by ongoing investigational research, we plan to start leaning into the more recently introduced EyePromise products supporting visual performance such as Vizual Edge™ Pro and Screen Shield™ Teen. These products are geared toward athletic performance and protection from digital devices, respectively.
Both professional and weekend warrior athletes strive to perform at their highest levels, and our patients are no exception! Additionally, parents are very receptive to preventative steps, particularly given the increasing demands of both school and recreational use of digital devices by their children.
EyePromise proves again and again that they have nutraceutical products for all our patients, regardless of where they are in their lifecycle. With the full Zea Performance System, I’m excited for the future of our practice and patients.
Susan Resnick, OD, FAAO, FSLS, is president of Drs. Farkas, Kassalow, Resnick & Associates in New York City. To contact her: sresnick525@gmail.com
