Why should a Pharmacist Verify Your Vitamins?

Why should a Pharmacist Verify Your Vitamins?

By Kathleen Nguyen, BAPS, PharmD – Kathleen is a licensed Pharmacist and Principal at BumpVitamins.com

Why should you go with Bump when choosing your vitamins? At Bump, every custom vitamin routine that is ordered through our site is sent to a local family pharmacy, where it is verified and filled by a licensed pharmacist. We do this for several reasons:

1. CONSISTENCY – Pharmacist verification ensures you are getting the exact products and dosages you ordered.
2. SAFETY – Although supplements are usually made from natural ingredients, they are still pills that you ingest (just like medications) and can sometimes be quite potent. To ensure purity and no cross-contamination, our pharmacies maintain test records.
3. ACCURACY – For some people, too much or too little of a supplement can be dangerous, especially for women who are pregnant and for whom the stakes are quite high. Pharmacists ensure the right amounts are administered.
4. CLEANLINESS – A licensed pharmacy is a clean and generally sterile place with written standard operating procedures that spell out exactly how medications (or vitamins in this case) are to be stored, handled, and packaged. This greatly reduces the chances of contamination by foreign objects, viruses, pollutants, etc.
5. CONVENIENCE – The pharmacy uses special equipment that pre-sorts your vitamins into special pouches and clearly labels the contents, making it easier for you to know exactly what you are taking without having to hassle with multiple bottles.

Bump treats your vitamins with the same care and attention as your medications would be treated. When you purchase your prescription medications at a pharmacy, the pharmacists go through several steps called the “Medication Process” to ensure that your prescription is accurate and is the right medication, form, strength, and frequency. Bump custom vitamins are non-prescription, natural products, but they go through the same type of process.

How Bump Orders are filled:

1. Order data entry
   • This step takes place after you drop off your script at the pharmacy or if your doctor sends in the new prescription electronically. Pharmacy technicians and/or Pharmacist then inputs the new prescription into the pharmacy data system. This same process is used for Bump. We electronically transmit your custom vitamin routine to the closest local pharmacy that has your particular products in stock.
2. Pre-verification / clinical review
   • The Pharmacist then reviews the medication (vitamin routine), evaluating potential drug interactions, duplication of therapy, and ensuring the right dose. At this time, the Pharmacist may need to contact the prescriber (Bump) for clarification. After resolution (if any), the order is ready to be filled.
3. Filling
   • The pharmacy technicians and/or Pharmacist then selects the appropriate products and count the correct prescribed amount. After filling, the order is sent back to the Pharmacist for verification.
4. Medication verification
   • The Pharmacist does a final check on the order to ensure the right product, dose, and directions. Each product has a specific imprint and/or label that helps Pharmacists and patients ensure they are receiving the right dose and type.
5. Pick up
   • After this process, the order is stored and is ready for pick up, OR in the case of Bump, your order is mailed out directly to your door!

The Importance of the Pharmacist Verification Process

Pharmacists play a very important role to ensure customer safety and serve as the last line of defense between order accuracy and the customer. Pharmacists are responsible in ensuring the customer receives the correct type, form, strength, and frequency of the product ordered. They are also accountable in ensuring that the order follows federal and state legal regulations and requirements.

Pharmacists must also be accurate in medication/supplement collection and documentation. Both Bump and our pharmacies, maintain records for the chain of control so that we know exactly where our products have been from the point of manufacture until they are in your hands. We also maintain certificates of analysis for each lot number, so that we can verify the exact make-up of each individual batch of supplements that we offer through our service.

Vitamin Verification at BUMP Vitamins

Pharmacists and health experts worked together to create a personalized quiz to recommend the best supplements based off your lifestyle, medical conditions, and any nutritional needs and desires. To ensure quality and safety, our vitamins go through the same process as prescription drugs would,

After taking your personalized quiz and submitting your order, your order goes directly to the Pharmacist where they review your results, health assessment, and customized plan. The Pharmacist then verifies your order and fills your selected custom vitamins into individual daily pouches. The completed order is verified again by a Pharmacist to guarantee each individual packet contains exactly what it is supposed to. From there, your vitamins are packaged and sent directly to you each month. Our Pharmacists are dedicated to providing the best quality care and service to our customers.

You should always consult your doctor before taking any vitamins or supplements. Talk with your doctor, pharmacist, and other healthcare providers about any dietary supplements and medicines you take. They can tell you if those dietary supplements might interact or interfere with your prescription or over-the-counter medicines or if the medicines might interfere with how your body absorbs, uses, or breaks down nutrients.