Ideally, one should purchase over-the-counter (OTC) products with a reliable hechsher. STAR-K certified products contain only kosher approved ingredients. A product containing a trace of a non-kosher ingredient (even if it is batel b’shishim) cannot be certified STAR-K. Similarly, all certified products are manufactured without any keilim concerns.

Unfortunately, very few OTC products are kosher certified, and kosher consumers who require such products are often confronted with shailos (questions).

STAR-K has reviewed ingredients used in hundreds of OTC products manufactured by many of the major pharmaceutical companies, including Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline, McNeil, Novartis, Pfizer, Procter & Gamble, Purdue Pharma, Merck and Nestle.

In compiling a list of “approved” medications for use by one who is a choleh (ill) or has a maychush (discomfort), the following halachic guidelines were used:

Equipment

►If all ingredients are kosher, there is no concern that the medicinal ingredients were produced on treif equipment (see Yoreh Deah 122:6).

►If a non-kosher ingredient is added by the company and is less than 1/60 of the product (by volume), the non-kosher is batel b’shishim and the product may be taken.

►Ingredients that are commonly batel include stearates, often derived from animal sources, which are used in tablets as a lubricant. However, there is no kashrus concern, as the stearates are usually less than 1/60 of the total (by volume). (Even if they are more than 1/60, they are batel b’rov because they are tasteless.) The stearates may even be kosher as this ingredient can be derived from vegetable sources.

Flavors

►Although food products with natural and/or artificial flavors must have a reliable hechsher, medications are permitted, even if they contain flavors. One can assume the non-kosher flavor component is batel. (In this case, for various reasons, kol davar she’avidi l’taama afilu b’elef lo batel does not apply.)

►Products without a reliable certification containing the following ingredients were not included on this list (unless we were able to confirm that they are batel): carmine, emulsifiers, gelatin, glycerin, monoglycerides, neutral soaps, oleic acid, polysorbates, sorbitan monolaurate and triacetin.

It should be noted that one whose life is or may be in danger should use any non-kosher medication if an equally effective kosher medicine is not readily available.