“It’s about time; in fact, I honestly think it’s way over due,” C. W. Randolph, Jr., M.D., R. Ph. says of the new FDA regulations that will requires supplement and vitamin manufacturers to test all the ingredients in their products to make sure they aren’t adulterated or contaminated. “Once again, it is the healthcare consumer that is the force driving the traditional medical community to take notice, catch up and change their ways.”When asked to explain, Dr. Randolph expounded: “As a Board certified obstetrician and gynecologist, I was trained in medical school to prescribe pharmaceutical drugs. I had no training in or exposure to the health-enhancing properties of vitamins and supplements nor did my medical training in any way emphasize how some natural health products could treat many chronic health conditions without side effects. Still, I listened to my patients when they asked for an alternative to drugs; they told me they wanted more natural options.”
Today, Dr. Randolph owns two Natural Medicine Shoppes: one in Jacksonville Beach and the other in Apalachicola, Florida. “When I opened my first Natural Medicine Shoppe I stocked the shelves with natural products from a variety of manufacturers. It was not long before the difference in my patients’ and customers’ responses signaled to me that not all product manufacturers could be trusted. I drew on my professional training and experience as a compounding pharmacist to establish criteria that would insure that any product on my shelves was safe and effective.”
“My criterion was and is simple yet non-negotiable quality and truth in labeling. This means that for my own private-labeled line, as well as other natural health product lines that I carry, I require stringent guidelines for their manufacturing process. These guidelines include:
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Raw materials testing
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Potency testing
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Product traceability
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Purity testing
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Product freshness
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Microbiology testing
The bottom line is truth in packaging. People have the right to know what they are putting in their body and they deserve to get the amount of active ingredient they are paying for.
According to a recent survey of nearly 1,000 supplements conducted by ConsumerLab.com, a product-certification company, one out of four supplements has quality problems, such as contamination or a failure to include an ingredient listed on the label. In Dr. Randolph’s opinion, “when it comes to the natural health products arena, the FDA has been acting like an ostrich. It is about time they pulled their head of the sand.”
When asked why he thinks the FDA has finally made this move Dr. Randolph responded, “I believe the volume of dollars associated with consumer demand finally drove the FDA to take action. Today, more than half of Americans routinely take some type of natural health product.” Sales of six man natural health products – vitamins, minerals, herbs, meal supplements, sports-nutrition supplements and specialty supplements – topped $22 billion in 2006 up from $14 billion in 1997.
Thank you,
Dr. Randolph
