The Costco Connection

To learn more about Costco Pharmacy, click on the “Pharmacy”
link at Costco.com or call toll-free 1-800-607-6861.
Commitment to quality
One brand’s
approach:
Centrum
Kirkland Signature vitamins,
supplements and the USP
UPDATE
PharmacyCOSTCO

ALL VITAMINS AND supplements are required to meet the standards established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Kirkland Signature™ dietary supplements go one step further. In addition to meeting or exceeding FDA standards, their quality is independently verified by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP).

The USP is a nonprofit scientific organization with nearly 200 years of experience in setting public standards for medicines and, more recently, dietary supplements and foods. The USP’s standards are recognized and used in more than 130 countries around the globe.

The USP conducts rigorous tests
and audits to verify the identity, quality,
purity, potency, performance and con-
sistency of Kirkland Signature
dietary supplements. As part of
the review process, the USP con-
ducts thorough inspection audits
at the manufacturing site. These
audits determine whether compa-
nies are in compliance with all of
the “good manufacturing prac-
tices” (GMPs) required by both
the FDA and the USP. GMPs
ensure that sound, safe, sanitary
manufacturing practices are used
to produce dietary supplements,
covering six areas: proper quality
management, facilities and equip-
ment, materials, production, packaging and
labeling, and laboratory testing.

Under this program, tests are conducted to identify the dietary ingredients and to confirm that the supplements contain a minimum of 100 percent of the quantity of the dietary ingredients claimed on the label and that their amounts do not exceed acceptable upper limits. Dietary supplements are also tested for acceptable levels of potentially harmful contaminants, such as pesticides in botanicals and PCBs in fish oil.

Only products that meet all of the USP’s stringent requirements earn the USP Verified The USP Verified Mark assures Costco members that the information stated on the label is an accurate representation of what’s inside the bottle, helping Costco members to shop with confidence.

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covering six areas: proper quality
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WHAT ABOUT vitamin and supplement products at Costco that are not Kirkland Signature?

Centrum vitamins—Costco offers four varieties in the warehouses and on Costco.com—are good examples.

Similar to the USP vetting process that Kirkland Signature products undergo, the quality-assurance procedure for Centrum multivitamins rests on four key pillars: product testing, product formulation, doctor recommendations and thorough study and evaluation. Often this approach includes more than 1,900 standard operating procedures, spanning the research laboratory and continuing through manufacturing and supply to Costco shelves.

The process begins with manufacturing practices that exceed standards required for dietary supplements. In fact, the makers of Centrum voluntarily apply manufacturing practices established for pharmaceutical products as the basis for their quality-assurance program for dietary supplements.

They also employ a strict supplier quality management system to ensure the identity, purity, strength and composition of ingredients used in each product, and use only those ingredients permitted in dietary supplements based on FDA regulations.

Furthermore, each Centrum multivitamin is backed by over one million hours of ongoing research to advance product development and design and to ensure the formulations evolve and keep current with the latest science and American dietary patterns. Item #506232.

Health fairs

Costco pharmacies frequently host clinics to check lung, heart or bone health. Screenings are free of charge and include an assessment of the results as well as suggestions for prevention or treatment methods.