Yes. All products on our website have been either certified or verified by our team as animal-free, meaning there are no animal-derived ingredients in the final product.

We focus on certifying health products only. Since the FDA requires animal testing in developing new drugs, medicines and pharmaceuticals are not technically vegan. VeganMed verifies and certifies products to be Animal-Free, meaning that they are free from animal products, but animal testing could have been part of their development process.

We provide a resource for consumers looking for animal-free health products. You can buy the products from anywhere that’s convenient to you, but in full transparency when you buy through our portal, we get a small percentage that is part of Amazon’s official affiliate program.

No. We are currently partnered with Amazon’s United States platform. Consequently, we do not control any aspect of the shipping process.

No. We only verify or certify other manufacturers.

The certified animal free seal is an official mark that shows a medication, supplement, or cosmetic product has gone through the rigorous certification review process by our pharmacists and was able to demonstrate it does not contain any ingredients of animal origin. Find out about our standards and requirements that manufacturers must meet in order to attain animal free certification here.

All products on VeganMed's online marketplace have been verified, but not all of them are certified. Verification means that the VeganMed team verified the ingredient list from individual companies to determine that the products do not contain animal-derived ingredients. However, this process is not always perfect. Certification means that VeganMed’s team has independently audited the manufacturer’s final product to ensure that no animal-derived ingredients have been used. Further, the manufacturer agrees to maintain VeganMed’s animal-free standards along with a random quality assurance check.

Clear labeling would ensure patient safety. 92% of patients with Alpha-Gal Syndrome (AGS) have had to change their medications due to animal-derived ingredients. 75% of AGS patients have had an allergic reaction to animal-derived ingredients in medications. Clear labeling would improve medication adherence and outcomes. The American Medical Association has reported medication non-adherence or discontinuation because of patients avoiding animal-derived ingredients. Clear labeling would embrace diversity and inclusion. The voices of vegans (6% of US) and those with certain religious preferences are often ignored.

The FDA does not require drug manufacturers to declare on how ingredients are sourced on label information. If you believe the FDA should require drug companies to disclose the use of animal or animal derived ingredients on their labels, then please urge the FDA to take action by leaving a comment supporting our Citizen’s Petition here.

Yes! You can send us a message and one of our pharmacists will get back to you. Our service is free of charge. Submit an inquiry at https://www.veganmed.org/contact-us.

Resources to check the animal-derived ingredients in your medications include manufacturer webpage (or their medical information team), FDA’s DailyMed database, or your healthcare provider. Unfortunately, the answers can be difficult to obtain because the manufacturer often gets it wrong or it is difficult to determine if a particular ingredient is sourced from a plant or animal (e.g. magnesium stearate). Currently, VeganMed’s Certified Animal Free seal is the best way to ensure your health products contain no animal-derived ingredients.

Magnesium stearate can come from either animals or plants. The source of magnesium stearate in products is not always disclosed by the manufacturer, but we can inquire on your behalf. You can find other common animal-derived ingredients here.

When possible, we believe in avoiding animal testing. However, animal testing is an unfortunate component of developing medicines. We are confident our united voices will diminish the use of animal testing in the future.

VeganMed has partnered with two compounding pharmacies, OptioRx and ScriptWorks. OptioRx, a national compounding pharmacy, specializes in custom animal-free medications and delivers across all 50 states. Meanwhile, ScriptWorks, based in California, focuses on compounding pharmaceuticals and offers shipping services within the state. Read more about our compounding partnerships here.

Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells are typically used in the manufacturing process of biologics, encompassing monoclonal antibodies and pharmaceuticals often denoted by names ending with "-mab." As background, mammalian muscle cells naturally contain a carbohydrate called galactose-α-1,3-galactose (α-gal). The Lone Star tick's bite may trigger the production of antibodies targeting this specific carbohydrate, causing Alpha-gal Syndrome (AGS). During the manufacturing process of biologics, when CHO cells are used, they produce glycoforms that include galactose. In certain instances, individuals afflicted with AGS may exhibit reactivity to biologics due to IgE-mediated hypersensitivity to alpha-gal. However, not all AGS patients will necessarily manifest such reactions, though the potential risk exists. Hence determining whether alpha-gal-susceptible patients will react to such drugs is challenging. To add another layer of complexity, manufacturers often say that even when the presence of animal-derived components may be entirely absent in the final product or may have been diligently eliminated by the manufacturer, a guarantee of their absence cannot be provided. Hence, in alignment with a cautious approach, VeganMed classifies products that incorporate Chinese Hamster Ovary cells in their manufacturing cell lines as "Unknown" in terms of their animal-free status, when a manufacturer states the final product is expected to be free of any animal-derived ingredients, however the absence of trace amounts cannot be guaranteed. This classification arises from the minimal yet possible risk of a reaction in AGS patients. VeganMed neither recommends nor dispenses medical advice and does not assess for the safety and efficacy of medications. The information we provide should be discussed with your physician to make a joint decision.