In many parts of the world, probiotics are subject to different manufacturing and quality control standards than pharmaceuticals. Could these different standards have any implications for patient health?
Mary Ellen Sanders and colleagues recently wrote a commentary in the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association on probiotic use in at-risk populations. In the paper, they explained that health care providers recommend probiotics to individuals in cases where the evidence is convincing for a certain indication, and sometimes these patients belong to an at-risk group. The authors addressed the concept of quality standards for manufacturing probiotic products and highlighted special considerations for those who may be at risk. Source: Gut Microbiota for Health