The Perspectives and Practices of Alberta Chiropractors Regarding the Sale of Health Care Products in Chiropractic Offices

An Exploratory, Descriptive Study of Consumer Opinions and Behaviors Regarding Health Products Sales at 4 Chiropractic Practices in a Large, Western Canadian Urban Center

“…19,20 Consumers indicated that they experienced products sales as a convenience, a finding also reported in a study of product sales in dermatology practices. 21 Also consistent with practitioners' perspectives, consumers believed that buying products directly from a practitioner allowed them to receive individualized attention and recommendations in terms of product selection and use.…”

“…[6][7][8][9] Specifically relating to DCs' opinions of office-based health product sales, a divergence of opinion has been previously reported. 19,20 The chiropractic profession recognizes that the paramount purpose of the profession is to benefit the patient as evidenced by national codes of ethics. 27, 28 The CCA has explicitly recognized the obligation for practitioners to undertake the sale of health products with integrity.…”

“…19 Questions were specific to the research aims. The survey was reviewed for face and content validity by all members of the research team, 2 of whom are DCs.…”

A descriptive study of chiropractors' opinions and practices regarding office-based health product sales

“…There have been a few studies that have explored the practice among dermatologists [7,8], dentists [9] and most recently chiropractors [6,10]. Together, these studies suggest product retailing by health professionals is prevalent.…”

“…Considering chiropractic specifically, studies have suggested that the majority of practitioners (54-89%) sell a range of products [6,10,15]. Chiropractic trade reports and publications suggest product sales are a major revenue source, improving practice profitability for chiropractors [16-18].…”