Congressional Threats To Discount Vitamins

Many people use discount vitamins and dietary supplements, but few give them much thought. Nutritional supplements are available at many retail locations as well as online. Without much thought or preplanning, any person can get the vitamins and supplement products they desire. Discount vitamins and supplements are affordable, accessible, and available for everyone – for now. The Senate has already passed bill S.3546 and the House of Representatives has their own version HR.6168 on the docket. If Congress passes the Adverse Event Reporting bill as it pertains to vitamins, supplements, and over the counter medications, all that affordability, accessibility, and availability could become a thing of the past.

If passed, the Adverse Reporting Bill would require a reporting system in which any adverse side effects or health conditions attributed to dietary supplements would be recorded. Unfavorable reactions including but not limited to death caused by an overdose, any form of hospitalization, incapacitation, or effects caused by the drug not performing as expected will have 15 days to be passed along to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. It is very likely that many of the adverse reactions would be falsely attributed to discount vitamin or nutritional supplements, even if the reactions occurred completely independent of the supplements. Take, for instance, heart attack patients. It has been reported that 60% of heart attack sufferers take some type of dietary supplement. While it would be easy to conclude that the dietary supplements are causing the heart attacks, the fact of the matter is that individuals with heart problems are avid users of nutritional supplements as an effort to improve their health and live a healthier lifestyle.

The passing of the Adverse Reporting Bill would actually put nutritional supplements, discount vitamins, and over-the-counter medications under closer scrutiny than their prescription counterparts, despite the fact that many prescription medicines are known to have potentially severe side effects. One of the requirements of the Adverse Event Reporting legislation would be for all supplement manufacturers to have a toll-free number listed in each and every label for consumers to call to report adverse reactions, something not currently required by prescription drug manufacturers.

This bill will have serious financial effects on the entire vitamin and supplement industry. Because the Adverse Reporting Bill would open the entire industry up to lawsuits, the insurance companies will waste no time in jacking up premiums or dropping coverage altogether for the vitamin and supplement manufacturers. It could very well let the financial liability rest on the shoulders of the manufacturers, raising their overhead or driving them out of business altogether. Establishing the toll-free reporting hotline and staffing it will be another expense. And the operators on this hotline will not just be fielding calls from legitimate individuals calling in to report an adverse reaction, but will most likely have more calls coming in for reasons completely irrelevant to the situation. Manufacturers will also have the arduous task of keeping labels updated and complete on the possible side-effects of or allergens contained in each supplement. Such legislation could also lead to expensive recalls of products.

The Adverse Reporting Bill affects not only the manufacturers, but also the retailers and the consumers. Obviously, the additional cost to manufacture the supplements is going to be passed down to the retailers and the consumers. Many smaller mom-and-pop shops operate on minimal profit margins. Increasing their expenses is a near certain death sentence to their businesses. They simply will no longer be able to compete with the larger retailers. Not only that but the discount vitamins that consumers currently find so affordable, available and accessible may not be so easy to come by. Again, the manufacturers’ increased operating costs are going to be passed on to the consumer.

Supplement shoppers are going to see the cost of their favorite products skyrocket and what was once an affordable measure in maintaining a healthy lifestyle will become more of a luxury. It will also effect where consumers are able to purchase their vitamin and nutritional supplements. Currently discount vitamins can be purchased online; at the local pharmacy, grocery store, or discount merchant (such as Target or Wal-Mart); at the mall; a local health food store; or the little vitamin shops on the corner. As costs go up and profit margins decrease, many of these retailers will stop carrying supplemental products as it will no longer be a profitable product line. Shoppers will no longer have easy access to the supplements they want and will have to look harder and longer to find what they need. Many products may get pulled from the shelves altogether – not because they actually pose a health risk, but because the data may be skewed or misread. (Recall the previous example of 60% of heart attack sufferers being on some kind of dietary supplement.) It is very possible that many of the supplements that thousands of people use every day without problems could be recalled and production stopped altogether – forever.

Millions of people use discount vitamins and nutritional supplements every day as a more natural approach to maintaining good health and in a more holistic approach to treatment of certain ailments. Glucosamine is used to maintain healthy joints and/or treat stiff joints. Millions of women rely on calcium supplements for the prevention of osteoporosis. Multi-vitamin supplements help ensure balanced nutrition and to fill in the gaps that poor dietary habits can create. Protein supplements are vital to those who have chosen a vegetarian or vegan way of life. Adverse Effect Reporting will strip millions of the opportunity to take control of their own health and to avoid prescription medications.

This bill is a lucrative opportunity for the large pharmaceutical companies to drive out the smaller manufacturers and increase their monopoly over the health care industry. Many of these pharmaceutical companies have already entered the supplement industry and by getting rid of the competition, they can force consumers to buy their products at a largely inflated price, increasing their market share and their profits.

There is something that the citizens of the United States can do to prevent this bill from being passed by Congress. It’s time to let the representatives of the people know exactly how the people feel. The following Senators are proponents of the Adverse Event Reporting Bill. Opponents of the bill can write to the Senators – and write often – to let them know that the people are outraged at their efforts to take away discount vitamins and supplements!

Dick Durbin
Fax: (202) 228-0400

Tom Harkin
Fax: (202) 224-9369

Orrin Hatch
Fax: (202) 224-6331

Michael Enzi
Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Fax: (202) 228-0359

And it never hurts to contact the local representatives either. Important information about the Bill and its various forms is available at http://www.NHA2006.com. Concerned citizens can join the Nutritional Health Alliance for information on current activities and reports about relevant congressional bills.