What the seal means
A product with an active PillWatch Seal has passed a sourcing review. Based on documents the brand provided and we reviewed, the product is made by a licensed manufacturer and reaches the market through licensed distributors.
Every verified product has its own public page at pillwatch.com/verify, found by its seal ID (PW- followed by five letters and numbers). The page shows the brand, the product, the current status and when we last checked it.
What the seal does not mean
- It is not FDA approval. FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they are sold, and PillWatch is not a government agency.
- It is not a claim about what the product does. We do not evaluate whether a supplement works, and the seal says nothing about health benefits.
- It is not a safety guarantee. A sourcing review confirms who makes and distributes a product. It does not test every lot, and it does not replace advice from a doctor or pharmacist.
- It is not a lab test, unless the verify page says lab results are on file. See lab testing below.
Documents a brand must provide
We review documents for each product, not for a brand as a whole. A brand applying for the seal provides:
- The manufacturer's FDA facility registration. Facilities that manufacture, process, pack or hold supplements for sale in the U.S. must register with FDA as food facilities. Registration is a listing requirement, not an approval, so we treat it as a starting point.
- Evidence of cGMP compliance. Supplement manufacturers must follow current good manufacturing practice under 21 CFR Part 111. We ask for evidence such as a current third-party GMP audit report or certificate, or recent FDA inspection results.
- Manufacturer and distributor licenses or registrations, where they apply. Requirements vary by state and by activity, so we ask for whatever the manufacturer and each distributor in the chain hold for the work they do.
- Supply-chain documents for the specific product. Purchase orders, invoices, manufacturing or supply agreements, or certificates of analysis that tie this product to this manufacturer and show how it moves from the manufacturer to the brand.
- The current product label. The label must match the product we are verifying and name the manufacturer, packer or distributor as federal labeling rules require.
We may ask follow-up questions or for additional documents before we decide.
What passes and what fails
A product passes when
- The manufacturer is identified, holds a current FDA facility registration, and shows evidence of cGMP compliance.
- Distributors in the chain are identified and hold the licenses or registrations that apply to them.
- The documents link this specific product to that manufacturer and supply chain.
- The label we review matches the product and the documents.
A product fails when
- The manufacturer can't be identified, or its registration or cGMP evidence is missing, expired or doesn't match.
- Documents conflict with each other, appear altered, or don't connect the product to the stated manufacturer.
- A supplier in the chain is unlicensed where a license is required.
- The brand doesn't respond to follow-up requests within a reasonable time.
If a product doesn't pass, we tell the brand why before anything is published. Nothing appears on a public verify page until a product passes.
Monthly monitoring
Each month we review major online marketplaces for listings that misuse a member brand's name or the PillWatch Seal, such as a seal shown on a product we never verified or a listing that imitates the brand. When we find something, we notify the brand. Monitoring is a search of public listings. It does not catch every listing, and it doesn't involve buying or testing products.
Re-verification
Each verified product is re-verified at least once a year. A brand must also tell us, and the product must be re-verified, whenever:
- the manufacturer changes,
- a distributor or other supplier in the chain changes, or
- a registration, license or cGMP document we relied on expires or is withdrawn.
The verify page shows the date the product was last checked.
Lab testing
Lab testing is included only with the Ultimate plan, which covers one test of one product by an accredited third-party laboratory. The lab must hold ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, the international standard for testing laboratory competence.
Results are posted on the product's verify page only if the brand chooses to publish them. Brands may also upload their own certificates of analysis (COAs), which display publicly on the verify page. A COA shows results for the samples tested. It does not cover every lot ever made.
When a seal is suspended or removed
A seal is marked inactive on its verify page when:
- sourcing can't be re-verified, including when a brand doesn't complete the yearly review or report a supplier change,
- we find that documents were false or misleading,
- the brand uses the seal in a way the Seal License doesn't allow, or
- the membership is cancelled or payment lapses.
An inactive seal stays searchable so shoppers can see its status. Brands must remove inactive seals from packaging, listings and websites as set out in the Seal License.
Conflicts of interest
PillWatch is run by Secure Medical, Inc., which also owns supplement brands. Any product from a Secure Medical-owned brand is labeled Affiliated on its verify page, so shoppers can see the relationship. Affiliated brands go through the same document review, monitoring and re-verification as every other brand.
Read more about who runs PillWatch on our about page.
Report misuse
If you see the PillWatch Seal on a product that doesn't appear at pillwatch.com/verify, a seal ID that doesn't match the product, or a listing that looks like a copy of a verified brand, tell us. Include the product name, where you saw it (a link or store name) and a photo of the label if you have one.
Email Marketing@securemedical.com, call 1-800-990-9681 x735, or and choose "Report a suspicious product."
If you think a supplement made you sick, contact a health care provider first, then report it to FDA through the Safety Reporting Portal.