Generic PreCare

There are currently no generic PreCare products available. This is because the FDA does not have to approve prenatal vitamins or assign them an "equivalency rating." As a result, it is not known if a generic prenatal vitamin is equivalent to brand-name products. However, your pharmacist may substitute a generic prenatal vitamin for PreCare if the state laws allow it (and if your healthcare provider approves).

 

Generic PreCare: An Overview

PreCare Premium™ and PreCare® Chewables are prenatal vitamins specifically designed for pregnant women. These particular prenatal vitamins are available only with a prescription.
 
PreCare products are manufactured by Ther-Rx Corporation. There are no generic versions of PreCare products available.
 

Issues With Generic Prenatal Vitamins

Generic prenatal vitamins present an interesting technical problem. Because prenatal vitamins do not need FDA approval, they are not given "equivalence ratings" by the FDA. Equivalence ratings are used by pharmacists to determine which generic products are considered equivalent to brand-name products. In many states, a pharmacist may not dispense a generic product in place of a brand-name medication unless the FDA has rated the products to be equivalent. Because prenatal vitamins do not have equivalence ratings, technically, no generic prenatal vitamin is equivalent to any brand-name prenatal vitamin (including PreCare prenatal vitamins).
 
However, depending on state laws (and how your healthcare provider writes your prescription), your pharmacist may substitute a generic prenatal vitamin that has the exact same ingredients (in the same amounts) as the brand-name product.
 

What If My Pharmacy Doesn't Have PreCare?

There are many different prenatal vitamins available, and a pharmacy cannot possibly stock every single brand.
 If your pharmacy does not carry PreCare prenatal vitamins, you have a few different options. You can take your prescription (or have it transferred) to a different pharmacy that carries PreCare; you can have your healthcare provider give you a prescription for a different prenatal vitamin; or you can ask your pharmacy to stock PreCare for you.
 
Add this article to your Favorites     Email this article     Print
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;