Prescription Prenatal Vitamins Versus Over-the-Counter Prenatal Vitamins

October 4, 2016

There is no disputing that pregnant women should take a prenatal vitamin. Women should begin prenatal vitamin supplementation at least one month before conception. However, if a pregnancy is unplanned, an expecting mother should start taking prenatal vitamins as soon as she knows she is pregnant.

When it comes to prenatal vitamins, many women choose the lowest-cost option they can purchase over the counter. However, there are several benefits to taking a prescription prenatal vitamin instead of an over-the-counter generic. Below are the unique benefits that patented ingredients in Prenate^® vitamins provide and why they are different from over-the-counter prenatal vitamins.

Pharmaceutical Grade

The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) monitors and regulates the manufacturing process and ingredients in the Prenate^® Vitamin Family. Supplements that are considered pharmaceutical grade are 99% pure, which means they contain no binders, fillers, dyes, or unknown substances. By not settling for anything less than pharmaceutical-grade supplements, expecting mothers are assured that their supplements contain the nutrients they need and no added or harmful fillers.

Quality

Surprisingly, the over-the-counter supplement industry is not regulated by the FDA. Although supplements are consumed, they are not regulated like the foods that we eat. However, the FDA does monitor and regulate pharmaceutical prenatal vitamins. This means that expecting mothers can rest easy knowing that the quality of ingredients in the Prenate^® Vitamin Family is backed by the FDA.

Patented Ingredients with Proven Benefits

Prenate^® Vitamin Family products contain patented nutrient forms with scientifically proven benefits. Some over-the-counter prenatal vitamins may contain folic acid, iron, and calcium. However, they do not contain patented nutrient forms:

Quatrefolic^® is a patented form of folic acid that is found in Prenate Chewable ^®. It is bioavailable to all women regardless of their ability to process folic acid.
Sumalate^® is a patented form of iron found in several Prenate^® Vitamin Family products, including Prenate Mini^® and Prenate Pixie^®. It is about three times more bioavailable than common iron forms. This means that a smaller dose is more efficient.^2-4 Plus, patients report less nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain with Sumalate^® than other common iron forms.^3,5,6
FormiCal^® is a patented form of calcium formate. Several Prenate^® vitamins contain FormiCal^®. It is gentle on the gastrointestinal tract.⁷ Plus, it is absorbed more rapidly and more efficiently, and to a greater extent than calcium citrate and calcium carbonate (common forms of calcium in over-the-counter prenatal vitamins).⁷
Lactospore^® is a commercial probiotic preparation containing L(+) lactic acid producing microbial preparation from Bacillus coagulans, MTCC 5856 (earlier known to be Lactobacillus sporogenes) found in Prenate^® Restore. Probiotics are invisible “good bacteria” that have health benefits for both mother and baby.^8,9

Prescription Prenatal Vitamins to Support Mother & Baby

This post is brought to you by the Prenate^® Vitamin Family, a line of prescription prenatal supplements designed to enhance preconception, prenatal, and postpartum nutrition in women. Talk with your doctor about how taking a daily prescription prenatal or postnatal vitamin could help support a healthy pregnancy and postpartum wellness.

THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.

RESOURCES: 1. Czeizel AE, Dudás I, Paput L, Bánhidy F. Prevention of neural-tube defects with periconceptional folic acid, methylfolate, or multivitamins? Ann Nutr Metab. 2011; 58(4):263–271. 2. Data on File/B, Avion Pharmaceuticals LLC, Alpharetta, GA 3. Pineda O, Ashmead HD, Perez JM, Lemus CP. Effectiveness of iron amino acid chelate on the treatment of iron deficiency anemia in adolescents. J App Nutr. 1994; 46(1,2):2-13. 4. Szarfarc SC, Núñez de Cassana LM, Fujimori E, Guerra-Shinohara EM, de ‘Oliveira IMEV. Relative effectiveness of iron bisglycinate chelate (Ferrochel) and ferrous sulfate in the control of iron deficiency in pregnant women. Arch Latin Nutr. 2001; 51(1)Supp 1. http://www.scielo.org.ve/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-06222001000500009&lng=en&nrm=iso. 5. Kamdi SP, Palkar PJ. Ef cacy and safety of ferrous asparto glycinate in the management of iron deficiency anaemia in pregnant women. J Obstet Gynaecol. 2014; Early Online: 1–5. Available at: 10.3109/01443615.2014.930098. Accessed December 29, 2014. 6. Duque X, Martinez H, Vilchis-Gil J, et al. Effect of supple- mentation with ferrous sulfate or iron bisglycinate chelate on ferritin concentration in Mexican schoolchildren: a randomized controlled trial. Nutr J. 2014; 13(71):1-10. doi: 10.1186/1475-2891-13-71. 7. Hanzlik RP, Fowler SC, Fisher DH. Relative bioavailability of calcium from calcium formate, calcium citrate, and calcium carbonate. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2005; 313(3):1217-1222. 8. Huurre A, Laitinen K, Rautava S, Korkeamaki M, Isolauri E. Impact of maternal atopy and probiotic supplementation during pregnancy on infant sensitization: A double-blind placebo-controlled study. Clin Exp Allergy. 2008; 38:1342–1348. 9. Michail S, Sylvester F, Fuchs G, Issenman R. Clinical practice guideline. Clinical efficacy of probiotics: Review of the evidence with focus on children. J Ped Gastroenterol Nutr. 2006; 43(4):550-557.

*Most eligible patients will pay no more than $10 per copay. For each Prenate^® prescription, pay the first $10 of your out-of-pocket expense and Prenate^® will cover up to $75 of your remaining expense. You could have additional responsibility depending on your insurance plan or remaining expense. This offer is good for 12 uses.

**Patients pay as little as $45 cash for a 30-day supply or $120 cash for a 90-day supply by ordering through Glendale Pharmacy. Glendale Pharmacy offers free standard shipping on all prescriptions to select states. Click here to confirm if Glendale delivers to your state. Glendale Pharmacy also accepts health insurance in select states, which may reduce your out-of-pocket cost even further. Click here to confirm if Glendale accepts insurance in your state.

Not valid for patient covered under Medicaid, Medicare or similar state or federal programs. Not valid in any state where prohibited by law.