How Our Scores Work
A product comparison aid. Apotheca's Quality & Trust Score summarizes available quality and reputation signals. It is not a laboratory certificate, a clinical recommendation or the probability that a supplement will work for you.
Six dimensions in the v5 model
The documented v5 model combines the dimensions below, with evidence and multi-source adjustments. Source coverage differs by product; the framework does not mean that every listing has every signal.
| Dimension | Weight | What it considers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 25% | Available manufacturing and brand-quality information. |
| Lab verification | 20% | Available testing and purity information; not an assurance of batch-specific testing. |
| Review consensus | 20% | Available marketplace and brand review data, volume and agreement. |
| Practitioner signals | 15% | Available professional mentions and related evidence; not approval for your individual use. |
| Community signals | 10% | Available discussion and reputation information. |
| Transparency | 10% | Available label, ingredient and sourcing disclosures. |
How to interpret a score
A high score can help you decide which product details to inspect first. It does not show that the product treats a disease, is suitable with your medicines or has independently verified clinical doses. Brand-level evidence and model defaults may contribute where product-specific evidence is missing.
Displayed scores use a calibrated scale and may reach a ceiling, so equal scores need not mean identical underlying evidence. The complete lineage of the historical display calibration has not yet been independently documented. We are not presenting the displayed number as an independently reproducible laboratory result.
Reviews and community evidence
Where available, Apotheca brings together review information from retailers such as Amazon and iHerb, brand websites, and community sources such as Reddit and social media. Coverage varies. A retailer rating, a source review and a community post are different kinds of evidence; none is automatically an Apotheca verified purchase.
Review entries should identify their source and whether the text is an excerpt. An original-source verified-purchase designation belongs to that source. Community posts can provide useful context, but they are not clinical trials or proof of effectiveness. Reviews with unresolved product-identity matches are withheld; missing reviews are not a reason to invent a rating.
Sourcing claims should be specific
Check the exact product's manufacturer, formula, strength, dosage form and package size. A claim about a brand does not automatically establish a batch-specific certificate, an authorized-distribution arrangement or the suitability of every variant. We do not claim that every catalog item has a public certificate of analysis.
Freshness and limitations
This methodology explanation was updated September 29, 2026. That date is not the refresh date of every product score or review. Source dates, when provided, should be read individually. We do not promise a universal update interval or automatic rescoring within 24 hours.
Use the label and source evidence alongside your own needs. For health claims, start with our research explainers and their citations; for how articles are prepared, read our editorial standards.