Supplements Versus Medicines

Most medicines in the US get a check before they are sold. The Food and Drug Administration, called the FDA, looks at the proof. It checks that a medicine is safe. It also checks that the medicine works for what it is meant to do.

Supplements do not get that check. The company that sells a supplement is in charge of making sure it is safe.

The FDA can act against a supplement that is unsafe. It usually acts only after people report problems with it. Reports come first. The FDA's action comes later.

A product on a store shelf has not necessarily been reviewed by the FDA.

A supplement label cannot say that the product treats or prevents a disease. If a label makes that kind of claim, read it more closely.

Knowing this rule helps you read any label with more care. It shows you which claims a label is allowed to make.

Key takeaways

• Most medicines get an FDA review before sale. Supplements do not.
• The company selling a supplement is responsible for its safety.
• Supplement labels cannot claim to treat or prevent a disease.

Try it

Check one supplement bottle at home for any line that names a disease it treats or prevents. Then bring that bottle, or a note about it, to your next visit with your care team.