Supplement/drug combined usage is really nothing new. FDA has long permitted calcium carbonate to be marketed as both an antacid and as a calcium supplement and for psyllium to be marketed as both a fiber supplement and a laxative. These products are simultaneously labeled with both sets of claims and with both a “Supplement Facts” and a “Drug Facts” box on the label. So why can’t consumers understand a similar product that combines two ingredients rather that promotes one ingredient for two purposes?Consider the possibilities for combinations of ingredients as well the opportunities for co-packaging: i.e., low dosage aspirin with vitamin D; OTC allergy medicines that also provide an anti-inflammatory supplement; if statins eventually get OTC approval, combining a statin drug along with coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) to offset the CoQ10 depletion that typically occurs with these drugs; even co-packaging a weight loss drug with a multivitamin to assure users get sufficient nutrients, many of which don’t get absorbed because of the fat-blocking effects of the drug. The cross-marketing opportunities are abundant and the supplement industry should be encouraging this type of thinking. From a manufacturer’s perspective, the benefits are abundant, too. As supplement manufacturers are already well-attuned to the desires of their customers, they are readily positioned to develop these products themselves or to reach licensing agreements with OTC manufacturers. In the same way Burger King now sells Minute Maid orange juice, and the Duncan Hines Brownie mixes include “real Hershey’s syrup inside” (because they know their customers respond positively to brands they already buy), combination product marketers from the drug side would do well to use branded supplement ingredients that already have a consumer awareness and following. Besides, anything that brings consumer interest and excitement to the category is bound to have a positive lift on the entire sector. All too often, members of the supplement community level criticism at health care practitioners for not practicing integrative medicine and for not including diet and supplementation in the total composite of wellness. And all too often, the natural products industry criticizes doctors when they prescribe drugs but don’t consider a more holistic approach. Supplement/drug combinations encourage an integrative approach to wellness and also have the potential to draw positive awareness to supplements among health care practitioners. But putting up barriers to these products or encouraging FDA to prohibit these combinations only reinforces the divide at a time when we should be looking for ways to show the medical community that dietary supplements have a critical role in prevention and wellness. Integrative medicine should lead to integrated products. Instead, this is an opportunity to encourage FDA to embrace products that make sense and help make consumer’s lives better. When dietary supplements and OTC drugs can provide either independent or even synergistic positive effects in a single pill, the agency should give these products their blessing. And when that happens, consumers will be well-served and supplement ingredient suppliers and finished product manufacturers alike may find these new marketing opportunities lead to new profits as well. Opportunity is knocking; let’s answer the door. Steve Mister is the president and CEO of the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing dietary supplement industry ingredient suppliers and manufacturers.
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