Pharmavite, AAFP supplement education on health site

LEAWOOD, Kan. FamilyDoctor.org. —Pharmavite last month aligned with the American Academy of Family Physicians’ Consumer Alliance Program, pledging to underwrite the development of nonbranded, physician-reviewed consumer education content on vitamins, supplements, general health and heart health, all of which will be featured on the AAFP’s consumer health site

“The partnership with AAFP is a very positive statement on the evolution of the vitamins and supplements category,” said Skip Aldridge, Pharmavite EVP and chief customer officer, in an interview with Drug Store News. “We really believe this partnership is going to have a long-term benefit on the entire vitamin/supplement category, not just Nature Made, but for everybody.”

Serving as an online destination for patients seeking information on health questions, issues and concerns, FamilyDoctor.org recently was named one of “Five Great Health Sites” on a Newsweek.com blog, and one of the “‘Top Ten’ Most Useful Web Sites” by the Medical Library Association. FamilyDoctor.org welcomes, on average, 3.5 million unique visitors each month.

Americans increasingly are using vitamins and dietary supplements to prevent nutritional deficiencies. Nielsen Inc. Scantrack point-of-sale data indicated that use of vitamins, minerals and supplements by U.S. consumers increased 31% from 2005 to 2009. With increased use of these products comes an increased need for patient education.

The AAFP maintains complete editorial control over the content developed for FamilyDoctor.org to ensure creation of balanced, evidence-based content that can help consumers make informed decisions. The content is reviewed extensively by family physician editors, members of the AAFP Commission on Health of the Public and Science, and credentialed expert consultants.