How to find out who manufactures a store-brand over-the-counter medicine?
I have a container of Kroger-brand Ibuprofen. Kroger doesn’t make pain relievers – they buy from some factory and slap their label on the bottle.
How do I find out who the actual manufacturer is?
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If you look at the label where it says Drug Facts, it mentions Pfizer. So I’m not sure if that is the manufacturer or not.
@elbanditoroso Wil the barcode tell you? There is a list of country’s barcodes which may tell you the origin.
It almost definitely will say who produced it, somewhere in small print on the bottle.
The bottle should say who make it on the front or back.
Doesn’t. In this case there is a NDC code (which points to Kroger), and nothing else that says “Manufactured by xxxx…)
It says “Distributed by the Kroger Company”, The mention of Wyeth says “Advil is a trademark of Wyeth and Kroger has nothing to do with Wyeth” or something like that.
I was just going to post that ^^^ information.
Since the page is so comprehensive and yet doesn’t mention a manufacturer, here’s my guess: Kroger buys whatever generic ibuprofen is cheapest at reorder time and labels it.
If true, I think this practice explains why sometimes a prescription med seems to gain or lose in effectiveness or side effects from one refill to the next.
There’s also the fact that it comes in various forms—tablet, gel capsule, different strengths. We don’t know which the OP has. But I do see, as @Tropical_Willie found, that the FDA page list more than one variety with Kroger as the manufacturer.
Maybe the next step is to find out how the FDA defines “manufacturer.”
Statistically it’s probably made in China by IOL Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd. They apparently manufacture 61% of all the ibuprofen sold in the US including several brand names.
The Ibuprofen itself is probably made in China as @Lightlyseared says. Drug companies are tending to outsource the manufacturing of the active ingredients of their products to save on costs. Source
“probably” isn’t the answer.
I’m looking for facts.
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