You can buy lots of supplements from the market, and they sell pretty well throughout the year. Meanwhile, supplements have become necessary for many as they offer several health benefits. You can buy these supplements from chemist’s stores, health food stores, and supermarkets, and they all provide you with the required results. But, which are the best ones? Should you take practitioner-only supplements (POS) or over-the-counter (OTC) ones?
Supplements are essential, but you cannot just consume any supplements from any brand. You must first consult a nutritionist, dietitian, or a practitioner before including the supplement in your diet. And this article will focus on the POS and why people take it regularly. Read on to understand more about POS medication and its benefits.
What Are POS?
The POS means the natural supplements that are listed or registered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, and you cannot buy these supplements like other medicines as they are not available to purchase over-the-counter. So, before purchase, these supplements can only be supplied by qualified health professionals (chiropractor, physiotherapist, naturopath, pharmacist, nutritionist).
But why are they not available over-the-counter just like others? The reason is simple, they are of higher quality and are more concentrated dosage than the over-the-counter ones.
Are These Similar to Other Supplements?
POS is not classified as “medicine” as you don’t need a prescription from a doctor to buy these supplements. And since doctors do not prescribe them, you call them to supplement products. Although, a qualified health practitioner or dietitian dispenses these products. Also, if you have noticed, you must have seen the AUST R number on vitamins and natural health products, and the packets of supplements are marked with the AUST L number.
What Is the Difference?
The next big question that comes to your mind is the difference between the POS/practitioner-only supplements and the usual medicines. POS still undergoes rigorous quality assurance testing and clinical trials to make sure the ingredients are safe and effective. Besides, the quality of the ingredients is usually higher and is more effective. As such, POS tends to be more expensive than regular medicines, but the results are guaranteed.
Over-the-counter (OTC) products usually contain a small percentage of active ingredients and are in the cheapest form, such as the plant’s root instead of its flower or leaf. These medicines are again diluted with other ingredients to keep the price down. Also, OTC products have different chemical structures than POS, and therefore, the body cannot absorb the OTC products efficiently. Hence, many nutrients are wasted when you consume OTC products.
Some ingredients found in over-the-counter products have less effect on your body, and you need to consume more and in high quantity to get the same result as consuming the POS products. But, the POS can be taken in fewer doses and are more effective.
Are the POS Products Better?
If you compare POS with OTC products, the brands that guarantee the results are those that manufacture POS products. And with higher absorption features and increased effectiveness, practitioner-only supplements stand out from the other medicines. Furthermore, several pieces of research have been conducted to test the effectiveness of POS, and they all proved that POS products are indeed better.
Though they are excellent, the effect varies depending on the person. Also, a higher dosage will help you with quick results, but you need to consult with your practitioner before taking the doses.
In conclusion, always buy good quality POS products, and remember the routine and consumption quantities in mind. And although these are more efficient than OTC products and have a strong ingredient mix, you need to be aware of the prescribed amount to be consumed.
Author: Kevin Murphy
