USP and Dieticians

Dieticians share a central mission with USP: to improve public health. Dieticians—represented by the American Dietetic Association (ADA) in the USP Convention membership—are key collaborators. The USP Convention is a governing body that guides and facilitates the organization's work. USP recognizes the key role that dieticians play in patient care, and offers tools and resources that can assist dieticians in their role.

Dieticians advise patients on a variety of food and nutrition issues. One important component in many patients' individual health and wellness programs is use of dietary supplements—whether to generally enhance health or to meet a specific dietary need based on a vitamin deficiency or situation such as pregnancy. In fact, more than 50 percent of Americans use some sort of dietary supplement regularly, including multivitamins, mineral supplements such as calcium or iron, and herbal supplements like Echinacea or garlic.

Dieticians frequently are in the position of advising patients on use of dietary supplements. Because dietary supplements are regulated more like foods in the United States and not according to the same guidelines as the medicines, identifying high–quality supplements to recommend can be a challenge. Dietary supplements are only subject to USP standards when they are labeled as such. To help healthcare professionals and consumers identify quality supplements, USP operates a separate "verification" program for dietary supplements. Manufacturers can voluntarily submit their products to testing by USP, and dietary supplements that meet the program's strict criteria are awarded the USP Verified Mark. This indicates that the product contains the ingredients listed on the label, in the declared potency and amounts; does not contain harmful levels of specified contaminants; will break down and release into the body in a specified amount of time; and has been made according to FDA Good Manufacturing Practices. It also allows dieticians to confidently recommend supplements to their patients—which is critical since patients will not get the intended benefit of supplements if these supplements do not contain what they claim to, or contain an undeclared ingredient, which could cause such problems as an allergic reaction or interaction with a prescription medication the patient is taking.

More information about the program, as well as a list of current USP Verified products, their manufacturers, and where to purchase them, can be found here. USP Verified products are available nationwide at pharmacies, wholesale clubs, and retail outlets.