From Dr. Koop.com--Although this article is not current, it is still quite relevant.

How You Can Check Product Claims
Lee Hickling, drkoop.com Health Correspondent

OCT. 5, 2000 -- How can a consumer check up on the claims manufacturers make about their products? In the case of brand-name over-the-counter medications vs. generic ones, it is easy to read the labels and compare the active ingredients and their dosages. If the nationally advertised brand costs more than the store brand, bear in mind that both are manufactured to FDA standards, and must be identical in their chemical composition and their effects.

If one still wonders whether, for instance, generic acetaminophen is as good as Anacin, the best thing to do is ask a doctor or a pharmacist.

In the case of toothpaste, ask a dentist. Eric J. Wilhelm, a La Plata, Md., dentist, told drkoop.com that as far as he was aware, Arm & Hammer PM toothpaste might have some slight effect in reducing plaque buildup overnight, but he doubted whether it would be great enough to result in fresh breath in the morning.

National consumer organizations rarely seem to run tests on products such as over-the-counter medications or toothpastes, but it would be worthwhile to question them about whether they have tried to verify advertising claims made for those products, or compared various products.

drkoop.com
Date Published: 11/6/00
Date Reviewed: 7/26/01