Are Baby Ddrops expensive?
Do Baby Ddrops® cost more than other products? Why are Baby Ddrops® priced differently than other Ddrops® products? In actual fact, in many cases, Baby Ddrops® are priced similarly and sometimes less costly than other liquid vitamins. One thing to look at more carefully when comparing pricing is the number of doses inside the bottle. Although the volume of liquid is small, the bottle actually contains 60 or 90 drops. This is a two to three month supply and per dose it works out to approximately 20 cents per dose. In comparison, other liquid infant vitamins may only contain 50 doses, and each dose is 1 milliliter (mL).
Ddrops® products are made in a highly recognized GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) facility awarded by Health Canada. This standard allows us to ensure that every Ddrops® supplement is consistently produced and controlled in such a way to meet the utmost quality standards appropriate to their intended use. Baby Ddrops® 400 IU is an NSF certified product.
NSF product certification requirements are as follows:
NSF certification ensures that dietary supplements do not contain unacceptable levels of contamination. NSF developed the only American National Standard for dietary supplements (NSF/ANSI 173) with participation from a balanced stakeholder group including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), other federal agencies, state regulatory agencies, manufacturers, retailers, industry trade associations and consumer groups. NSF has worked for over a decade with sports organizations, anti-doping agencies, and supplement manufacturers to evaluate and test these products and to help ensure their quality and safety.
GMP basic requirements are as follows[1]:
- Manufacturing processes are clearly defined and controlled to ensure consistency and compliance with approved specifications;
- Critical steps of manufacturing processes and significant changes to the process are validated;
- All necessary key elements for GMP are provided, including the following:
- qualified and trained personnel,
- adequate premises and space,
- suitable equipment and services,
- correct materials, containers, and labels,
- approved procedures and instructions,
- suitable storage and transport
- Instructions and procedures are written in clear and unambiguous language;
- Operators are trained to carry out and document procedures;
- Records are made during manufacture that demonstrate all the steps required by the defined procedures and instructions were in fact taken and that the quantity and quality of the drug were as expected. Deviations are investigated and documented;
- Records of fabrication, packaging, labeling, testing, distribution, importation, and wholesaling that enable the complete history of a lot to be traced are retained in a comprehensible and accessible form;
- Control of storage, handling, and transportation of the drugs minimizes any risk to their quality;
- A system is available for recalling (if necessary) from sale;
- Complaints are examined, the causes of quality defects are investigated, and appropriate measures are taken with respect to defects and to prevent a recurrence.
In addition, the ingredients are carefully chosen. These are of the absolute highest quality, which in turn costs us more than standard or conventional raw materials. We can also safely ensure that all of our Ddrops® products are free from most common allergens like peanuts, while also being; wheat-free, gluten-free, soy-free, corn-free, sugar-free, and dairy-free.
Lastly, but very importantly, significant investments are put into providing information and education for parents and healthcare professionals. Ddrops Company is also committed to research in the area of vitamin D.
- “Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Guidelines.” Health Canada. Regions and Programs Branch (RAPB), 4 Mar. 2011. Web. 5 Jan. 2015.