A 2013 study, on the confidence of Quebecers in different professions, had demonstrated, in response to the question “Do you trust or not…” 92% said that they trusted pharmacists, tied with nurses. Our pharmacists are easily accessible and trusted professionals.

Since Vitoli® products are available exclusively in pharmacies; we thought it worth recalling some important reasons for this choice, which is often asked. Many of you have written to us on this subject. There are three main reasons: the quality of the products, the risks of interactions, and the advice on its proper use.

Product quality

First of all, remember that natural health products are not all safe. Just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous or toxic. For example, Taxol, the first choice molecule for the treatment of certain cancers, originate from Taxus Canadensis (Canada yew). It is a highly toxic natural molecule. In the same way, one of the most used drugs is metformin (for blood sugar). It originates from French lilac. French lilac was already in use within the medieval times. It was not yet known at that time what diabetes was, nor that the French lilac also contained other toxic natural molecules. It seems that 100g of French lilac can kill a goat.

It is therefore important to use quality products, both to ensure that the products consumed are what we expect to consume, but also that they do not contain contaminants. Be aware that some products sold on the Internet are not tested by Health Canada. These products are subject to approval documents with widely varying standards. For example, products using plant extracts whose quantity of active elements is not listed on the label (standardization/normalization) have not necessarily been the subject to an in-depth analysis to confirm the identity of the ingredient that comes from their supplier. The validation and quantification of active elements is not part of the standards imposed by Health Canada for all plant extracts. Vitoli® products are the only ones that guarantee the use of only standardized ingredients for all products. We provide training to healthcare professionals to explain these gaps in Canadian regulations and educate them on the main risks of interactions/contraindications.

Risks of interactions/contraindications

Although some contraindications are well documented, others are based on laboratory observations. This makes it difficult for your pharmacist to know exactly what applies to each product. We are the only company to offer detailed analyzes signed by a pharmacist to facilitate their work. It is also important to consider that your pharmacist knows your file and that, if necessary, he can contact your doctor to discuss the treatment most suitable for you. If you are taking medication, you should never use natural products without talking to your pharmacist. If they do not seem to know Vitoli® products, you can tell them that training for pharmacists and doctors are available, mention it to us so that we can contact them for you, or ask other pharmacists for advice. It is important for the use of quality products, that your pharmacist is well informed and knows that we offer professional support via our website and/or by phone (https://vitoli.ca/professionals/). We also produce support documents for the practice of pharmacists and doctors in our documentation center. The documentation center, training platform (reserved for healthcare professionals), contains, for example, recommendations for weaning off of sleeping pills and detailed analysis documents for potential contraindications/interactions for each Vitoli® product. Quality information for quality products to ensure proper use of these products.

Advice on proper use

If you choose to use high quality products, it is also important to use them for the right reasons. Beware of 4 or 6 month programs often recommended for natural products. Generally this refers to low quality products. For Vitoli® products, some are effective from the first capsules and can therefore be used as needed (e.g. Vitoli® Sleep or Vitoli® Stress and Anxiety). Some other products may take longer to bring their full benefits (e.g. Vitoli® Memory and Cognitive Health or Vitoli® Joints).

Your pharmacist will be able to advise you on how to use a product; one or two capsules depending on certain products, and even if necessary, on a regular basis, and even a product different from the one you thought you might need. For example, for fatigue problems, your pharmacist should first ask you about your sleep (without medication) in order to rule out sleep problems or advise you on how to improve your sleep first. If your sleep is good, he might recommend that you try Vitoli® Energy. Likewise, some anxiety problems can be greatly improved by sleep. They will be able to direct you towards the products that you need.

It is therefore very important to talk to your pharmacist about the natural products you want to use. We are of course available to answer your questions and/or contact your pharmacist if they need more information. Quality should be in pharmacies, with the pharmacist.