About the Author

Harold M. Silverman, Pharm.D., is a pharmacist and has been practicing medical and health-care public affairs and communications for more than fifteen years. He is the co-author of The Vitamin Book and author of the chapter on generic drugs in The Merck Manual- Home Edition.

Joseph A. Romano,PharmD, has more than 25 years of experience in health care as a practitioner, educator, and administrator. He is currently vice chairman of Nelson Communications Inc., one of the largest health-care communications companies in the world. In that capacity, he serves as chairman/partner of two business sectors- SCIENS Worldwide Healthcare Communications and Nelson Professional Sales. Dr. Romano's past academic career includes tenure as an associate dean and associate professor at the University of Washington in Seattle. He is an adjunct faculty lecturer at several institutions and has also authored numerous professional papers and two textbooks on pharmacy andpharmacology. Dr. Romano lives in the Princeton, New Jersey, area with his wife and two children.

Gary W. Elmer,PhD, is an associate professor of medicinal chemistry at the University of Washington School of Pharmacy. He obtained his BS degree in pharmacy and a MS degree in pharmacognosy from the University of Connecticut and a PhD from Rutgers University. Dr. Elmer is the coauthor of the vitamin and mineral chapter in theHandbook of Nonprescription Drugsand has published and lectured extensively on dietary supplements and their proper use. In his laboratories at the University of Washington, he researches herbal/drug interactions and the application of biotherapeutic agents (probiotics) in the treatment of infectious diseases.