Doesn't RX mean prescription?

[Beth]

I've got a question about diet supplements and non-prescription diet pills. I've seen that some products that are available without prescription have the letters RX attached to them. Doesn't RX mean prescription though? Wouldn't this mean that you would need to have a prescription to take these pills? I find this very confusing and it makes me wonder about the efficacy and integrity of the product and the company behind it.

[char]

Yes it does mean prescription. Any company that produces dietary supplements and calls these supplements RX are doing this only to get you to buy them by tricking you into thinking they are "pharmaceutical grade" or some BS like that. I would highly recommend you avoid buying anything from a company that adds RX to the name of their product or even in its description if it's not actually a prescription drug.

[jan]

I agree with Char. RX means prescription. If something has RX attached to it and isn't a prescription drug regulated by the FDA, then the manufacturer is lying to you and is using this wording simply to get you to buy it. It's irresponsible and that manufacturer is clearly only in it for the money.

[bigbobby]

I've personally made a rule that if I come across any dietary supplement or non-prescription herbal concoction that calls itself "pharmaceutical grade" or uses terms like "RX" is a scam. I would advise you to do the same, because it is.

[Paplo]

I don't even think it's legal to use RX in this way. I could be wrong about that, but I'm pretty sure any company that did who didn't actually have a prescription product would get in trouble by the FDA.

[Beth]

Thank you! I thought that's what it meant! I can't believe dietary supplements are allowed to get away with using the term RX when they aren't prescriptions?? Isn't this a bad business practice? Can't the FDA shut them down? Geeze, it's so scary to think how much you have to know as a consumer to protect yourself because people are only interested in making a buck and have no problem scamming you to do it. It's awful how people take advantage of others who are desperate or in need...

[bigbobby]

Thank you! I thought that's what it meant! I can't believe dietary supplements are allowed to get away with using the term RX when they aren't prescriptions?? Isn't this a bad business practice? Can't the FDA shut them down? Geeze, it's so scary to think how much you have to know as a consumer to protect yourself because people are only interested in making a buck and have no problem scamming you to do it. It's awful how people take advantage of others who are desperate or in need...

it really is and they've been doing it since the dawn of time. All we can do is arm ourselves with information and if something doesn't seem right, ask questions and don't be satisfied until you find the answers. Usually, if something is too good to be true it is. I hope you find a product that works for you Beth and try to remember that as much as there are a lot of crap companies out there, there's a lot of decent ones, too. Not everyone is trying to take advantage of you for the sake of only getting your money.