Mad Cow Disease and Supplement Safety at Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy

Boulder, Colo. (February 24, 2004) – In response to recent concerns about mad cow disease and supplement safety, Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy has removed for sale all dietary supplement products containing bovine (cow) derived brain, skull, eye and spinal cord material.

Mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), is a chronic, degenerative disorder affecting the central nervous system of cattle. In humans it is called "new variant" Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and is contracted from eating BSE-infected beef. At this time the National Nutritional Foods Association reported no cases of BSE have been found in dietary supplements.

The United States Department of Health & Human Services intends to ban from human food, including dietary supplements and cosmetics, a wide range of bovine-derived material including brain, optic and nerve tissue, so that the same safeguards that protect Americans from exposure to the agent of BSE through meat products regulated by USDA also apply to products that the FDA regulates.

As a response to the impending ban by the FDA and to assure consumer safety, Pharmaca Integrative Pharmaca has removed questionable dietary supplements from its shelves. The manufacturers of these dietary supplement products are required by USDA law to be certified that the source of bovine derived material originates from non-BSE infected nations.

Gelatin capsules, which are made from bovine or porcine (pig) hoof or cartilage, have also come under scrutiny. Because BSE has only been found in neural and optic tissues, gelatin has not been identified as a source for BSE by any scientific or medical organization. Those still looking for an alternative to animal derived gelatin can find some products that use a vegetable gelatin made from potato starch.

"Pharmaca may re-stock dietary supplements with bovine source material once we are assured the source is from a non-BSE infected country such as New Zealand," said Don Summerfield, VP of integrative medicine. "In the meantime, Pharmaca is committed to providing high quality, safe products to consumers."

About Pharmaca
Pharmaca, founded in June 2000 and headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, operates unique pharmacies that combine prescription drug and over-the-counter products with natural, complementary and personal body care products. To date, the Company has eight pharmacies in Colorado, California, Oregon and Washington. www.pharmaca.com

Contact:
Anne Dirks
Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy, Inc.
303-442-2304 X109
adirks@pharmaca.com