Ideal Protein looks to augment pharmacy clinical offerings with weight loss solution
SARASOTA, Fla. — As pharmacies look to increase the number of clinical services they offer patients, Ideal Protein is offering pharmacies a potential revenue stream that can have an impact on patient health. The Ideal Protein protocol is a solution offering weight loss and weight maintenance services.
“We provide a standardized, sustainable business model that maximizes staff time and efficiency, provides impactful patient outcomes, and diversifies the pharmacy’s service offerings in the community,” Ideal Protein director of pharmacy services Thomas Barus said. “Ideal Protein helps pharmacists and their teams become valued participants in providing high value care in the healthcare continuum, and helping to reduce overall healthcare expenditures.”
The Ideal Protein protocol is a consultative service program that requires pharmacies to have a consultation room, and that can offer existing pharmacy staff a new role as health coaches following training. Patients visit for weekly one-on-one coaching visits. Ideal Protein is a cash-based model that the company said also can benefit pharmacies through increased foot traffic and front-end sales.
“The industry seems to be hyper-focused on improving adherence to medications for often ‘reversible’ chronic conditions,” Barus said. “We provide pharmacists with a structured method to access patients and offer them better health outcomes. Our protocol targets the root cause of many chronic diseases by focusing not only on weight loss, for which we see predictable, repeatable and measurable outcomes, but on weight maintenance and behavior change.”
The protocol places education at the center, Ideal Protein said, emphasizing teaching its partners about how the protocol works and science behind disease processes, nutrition, fitness and physiology.
“Our simple and effective education and training platform, IdealSmart Academy ensures consistent delivery and competency across all sites, affording patients a consistent experience with the protocol,” Barus said.