After operating for more than 25 years, Natural Partners has moved its services to the Fullscript platform. This is an exciting evolution that allows the company to better meet the needs of modern practitioners and deliver on its mission: to help people get better.
Natural Partners was originally founded in 1995 by Tye Smith, a newcomer to integrative medicine who had spent many years building the PetSmart enterprise at the executive level. At the time, Smith’s health was suffering. A number of conventional medical specialists failed to address his concerns, so he sought help from Dr. Helene Weschler, an integrative practitioner. Dr. Weschler had a small selection of supplements in her practice and helped her patients choose premium quality products to support their health goals. Smith saw a gap in the practices of most healthcare professionals and, calling upon his previous experience, created a convenient system for practitioners to access practitioner-grade supplements to dispense to their patients.
With his wife Dianna, several of the former PetSmart team, and some very loyal, patient investors, Natural Partners was born. Beginning in 1995 with two doctors, Natural Partners grew substantially from a regional supplier carrying a couple of dozen brands to a national player carrying hundreds of practitioner-trusted brands, and serving doctors in every state in the US.
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“We actually started off as a technology company,” said Smith. “The idea was to give patients and their doctors more options about how to do things efficiently.” Smith ultimately landed on providing practitioners with wholesale supplement purchasing so they could give patients affordable access to integrative care while growing their own practices.Natural Partners continued to be a driving force in integrative medicine for the next two decades, eventually finding a new opportunity with Canadian company Fullscript.
Better Together
Fullscript and Natural Partners merged in 2018 to become the new leader in integrative health. With Fullscript’s simplification of physical inventory through virtual dispensing and Natural Partners’ tenured supply chain and merchandising expertise, they were a natural fit. The combination offered a complete management solution for integrative practitioners.
“There was an initial connection because we both had a similar view of what we both wanted to do within this industry, and our passion for integrative and functional medicine,” said Fullscript Chief Executive Officer Kyle Braatz in 2018.
“This combination is unique. We’re bringing together two teams that are completely complementary and laser-focused on the future of the wellness industry. Fullscript’s strengths are amplified by Natural Partner’s strengths, and vice versa. The Natural Partners team is incredibly passionate, and it takes that kind of passion to make a difference in healthcare. That’s why we were so drawn to the Fullscript team. In an industry that’s fraught with complex issues that have a real impact on human lives, we’ve got something special to contribute – a great strategy, and a team of people that truly care.” said Fran Towey, Chief Executive Officer of Natural Partners at the time of the merger.
One Platform
In 2020, Fullscript and Natural Partners took the next step by melding Natural Partners and Fullscript into a single solution and brand. Under the banner of Fullscript, it officially became the only supplement dispensing solution to offer wholesale and virtual dispensing on one platform.
“By offering virtual dispensing and wholesale ordering in one platform, we’re giving practitioners the flexibility to create their perfect dispensing mix,” said Fullscript Chief Product Officer Brad Dyment. “Whether they’re dispensing in-office, online, or a combination of both, they can easily manage and track it all in one place. And, they can also take advantage of other perks, like automated adherence tools, marketed patient promotions to keep patients engaged, and shareable protocols to let anyone self-serve from their online dispensary. There are so many ways to dispense supplements and grow a practice, and now you can do it all from one browser tab with a free Fullscript account.”
With an upgraded Fullscript fully operational, it became the natural time to move all Natural Partners operations over to its new home.
Why the Move to Fullscript?
The Fullscript mission is to help people get better. Moving Natural Partners over to the Fullscript platform supports this mission by allowing the company to simplify its operations and more quickly innovate — therefore, delivering more value to practitioners and patients. By focusing on one platform, Fullscript can deliver a tool that allows practitioners to dispense supplements virtually or in-office, manage and grow their practice, and amplify their impact with patient engagement and adherence tools. It also reduces the number of accounts and solutions a busy practitioner has to manage. In order to get the optimal dispensing mix, a practitioner only needs to open one browser tab.
This was a thoughtful shift, based on research, feedback from users, and innovative technology. This change will ultimately simplify how practitioners dispense supplements. Fullscript has put the tools and resources in place to facilitate a seamless transition, so no patients will see their care adversely impacted. In the long-run, both patients and practitioners will greatly benefit from the simplicity and innovation that will come from this change.
“This has never been just about supplements,” said Braatz. “It has always been about the evolution of medicine. It has always been about helping practitioners provide better care, and most importantly, helping patients commit to wellness.”
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Fullscript is the leading online platform for practitioners to manage and dispense healthcare’s best supplements — from their clinic or directly to patients’ doors.
Whether in-office or online, Fullscript helps practitioners become a safe, convenient source for trusted supplements and wellness products, while easily adding a new revenue stream. Practitioners gain more control over their patients’ supplement intake and can offer savings, earn a custom profit margin, or both to grow their practices and make wellness more affordable.
The Fullscript platform also offers time-saving features, medically-reviewed resources, automated adherence tools, and more to minimize admin, grow physicians’ practices, and keep patients engaged.