Independent pharmacies are kind of in this strange but actually pretty interesting spot right now. Everyone keeps saying grow your OTC sales, but nobody really wants to feel like they are turning into a pushy salesperson behind the counter. Most pharmacists did not get into this profession to pressure people into buying supplements. Still, the demand is already there even if it is not always obvious day to day.
One thing that keeps popping up more and more is NAD. People see it online, hear about it from wellness posts, or just end up Googling stuff late at night about energy, aging, and feeling better. Then they walk into the pharmacy and ask something like do you carry NAD. They are usually not 100 percent sure what it is, but they already connect it in their mind with energy, recovery, or overall wellness.
This is where things start to shift a bit.
Instead of trying to actively sell anything, some pharmacies are realizing something simpler actually works better. Just have what people are already looking for and be the place that can answer when they ask. No pressure, no sales script, just having it on the shelf and explaining it in a normal way when needed.
A good example of this is liposomal NAD supplements like the ones from companies such as Vinco. The term liposomal sounds very technical and a bit intimidating, but most patients are not trying to sit through a science breakdown. They just want to know if it is absorbed well, if it is trustworthy, and if it is better than something random they saw online.
This idea was actually highlighted at a recent Pharmacy Profit Summit as a real world example of how one supplement category can quietly become a strong revenue driver. Not because of aggressive selling, but because the product is already in demand and the pharmacy is simply there when people ask for it. It is more about timing and availability than anything complicated.
A lot of independent pharmacies miss this because they overthink it. They try to build big strategies when the simpler truth is patients are already searching for these products before they even walk in the door.
So when someone asks about NAD, it is not really about convincing them. It is more like yes we have that, and then just helping them understand it in plain language. That small shift from pushing products to just being the easy answer can quietly build up a lot over time.