PBProvider Back Office

Frequently asked questions

94 answers across every tool and the research-use-only designation.

Peptides

What is a peptide?
A chain of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. Shorter chains are conventionally called peptides and longer ones proteins, though the dividing line is conventional rather than absolute.
What does research use only mean for peptides?
It is a labelling designation indicating the material is intended for laboratory research and not for diagnostic or therapeutic use. It describes intended use rather than quality, and it does not permit use in people.
Does the peptide heading mean items in it are similar?
No. It is a structural classification. Two items under the same heading may have nothing in common beyond being amino acid chains.
Where can I look up information about a specific peptide?
PubChem, maintained by the National Library of Medicine, holds structure, identifiers and links to published literature for named compounds. It is a reference database and does not evaluate or approve anything.
Are research peptides FDA approved?
No. Material designated research use only has not been through an approval process for use in people. FDA publishes what it means for a product to be unapproved and how it treats them.

Oral Supplements

Is an oral supplement the same as a dietary supplement?
No. Dietary supplement is a defined regulatory category with its own requirements. "Oral supplements" as a catalog heading describes the format of the material and makes no regulatory claim.
What does research use only mean here?
That the material is designated for laboratory research and not for diagnostic or therapeutic use, regardless of the format it comes in. Format and designation are independent.
Where can I read how dietary supplements are regulated?
FDA publishes its framework for dietary supplements, which sets out labelling and manufacturing requirements and is separate from how research materials are treated.

Vitamins & Enzymes

What is a vitamin?
An organic compound an organism requires in small amounts and cannot synthesise in sufficient quantity itself. NIH publishes fact sheets on individual vitamins and minerals.
What is an enzyme?
A protein that catalyses a biochemical reaction. Enzymes and vitamins are chemically distinct groups that appear under one catalog heading for organisational reasons.
Does research use only apply to vitamins too?
Where an item is designated research use only, yes — the designation attaches to the material as supplied, independent of what chemical class it belongs to.
Where can I read reliable information about a specific vitamin?
The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements publishes fact sheets covering what is known about individual vitamins and minerals. Those describe the nutrient, not any commercial product.

Nasal Spray

Does the nasal spray heading say what a product is for?
No. It describes the delivery format — material in solution with a spray applicator. It carries no information about purpose or intended use.
What does research use only mean for a nasal spray format?
The same as for any other format: the material is designated for laboratory research and not for diagnostic or therapeutic use. The designation is independent of packaging.
Why does storage matter more for solutions?
Material in solution is generally more sensitive to temperature and light than dry material, so the supplier's stated storage conditions carry more weight and an opened container should be recorded as distinct from a sealed one.

Topical Cosmetic

What makes something a cosmetic rather than a drug?
Under US law the distinction turns substantially on intended use as evidenced by the claims made about the product. FDA publishes guidance on where that boundary sits.
Does the topical cosmetic heading mean an item is a regulated cosmetic?
No. It is a catalog format heading. Material designated research use only sits outside both the cosmetic and drug frameworks as supplied.
Why is wording treated as a compliance issue?
Because claims can determine regulatory category. A description that asserts an effect can move a product into a category with entirely different requirements, regardless of what is in it.

Supplies

What counts as a supply?
Consumables and ancillary items used alongside other material rather than being the subject of the work — diluents and containers, for example. The heading is defined by role rather than chemistry.
Do I need to record lot numbers for consumables?
It is the gap that most often causes trouble. If a question arises about a preparation later, which diluent lot was used is part of the answer, and it is usually the part that was never recorded.
What is a safety data sheet?
A standardised document describing a chemical's hazards, handling and storage requirements. OSHA sets out when one must be available in a workplace under its hazard communication standard.

Tablets

What is a tablet, as a classification?
A dosage form — material compressed into a solid unit. It is a description of physical presentation and carries no regulatory or functional meaning.
Does tablet form mean something is a medicine?
No. Dosage form and regulatory status are independent. Approved medicines are frequently tablets, and so are many things that are not medicines at all.
What should a certificate of analysis show for a tablet product?
The lot it applies to, stated composition per unit, and the analytical method behind any potency figure. Everything on a CoA applies only to the lot it names.

Liquid Oral

What does liquid oral mean as a classification?
Material in solution or suspension, presented for oral administration. It is a format descriptor and carries no information about purpose.
Does an expiry date still apply after a container is opened?
A supplier expiry date describes unopened material stored under stated conditions. It does not automatically extend to material after a container has been opened, which is why the opening date is worth recording.
Why do liquids need more careful storage records?
Material in solution is generally more sensitive to temperature, light and elapsed time than the same material dry, so the stated conditions matter more and deviations matter more.

Flavonoids

What are flavonoids?
A large class of polyphenolic compounds found widely in plants, defined by a shared fifteen-carbon structural skeleton. Thousands of distinct compounds belong to the class.
Does belonging to the flavonoid class tell me anything about a compound?
It tells you about molecular structure. Compounds within the class differ substantially from one another, and class membership implies nothing beyond that shared backbone.
Where can I read about a specific flavonoid?
PubChem, maintained by the National Library of Medicine, holds structure, identifiers and links to published literature for named compounds. It is a reference database and does not evaluate products.
Why does batch variation matter for plant-derived material?
Naturally sourced material varies between batches more than synthesised material does, which makes the per-lot certificate of analysis more informative rather than less.

Skin Care

Does the Skin Care category mean these items are for skin?
No. It is an organisational heading a supplier uses to group a list. It is not an indication, not a claim, and not a statement that anything under it has been evaluated for any purpose.
What does research use only mean in this category?
That the material is designated for laboratory research and not for diagnostic or therapeutic use. That designation applies regardless of which heading an item is filed under.
What separates a cosmetic from a drug in US law?
Largely intended use as evidenced by the claims made. FDA publishes guidance on where that boundary sits, and the same formulation described differently can fall on different sides of it.

Hair Health

Does the Hair Health category mean these items affect hair?
No. It is an organisational heading used to group a supplier list. It is not an indication, not a claim of effect, and not a statement that anything under it has been evaluated for any purpose.
Why does the distinction between a label and a claim matter?
Because claims about effect determine how something is regulated and what advertising rules apply. The FTC publishes what it expects of health-related claims, and a grouping label treated as an indication is how problems begin.
Is anything in this category approved for use?
No. Material designated research use only has not been through an approval process for use in people and is not offered for that purpose.

Research Catalog

What does "research use only" mean?
It is a labelling designation marking material as intended for laboratory research and explicitly not for diagnostic or therapeutic use. It describes intended use, not quality, and it does not create a category of permitted use in people.
How many items are in the catalog?
Ninety-nine, across six material types — peptides, oral supplements, vitamins and enzymes, nasal spray, topical cosmetic, and supplies — and eight categories.
Does the catalog show prices?
No. Pricing and ordering sit with the supplying partner under their own terms, and pricing varies by tier. Each item links to the partner portal where your tier pricing applies.
Do I need an account to browse it?
Yes. The catalog sits inside the free provider account. Creating one takes under a minute and there is no fee.

Reconstitution Calculator

How do I calculate concentration after reconstitution?
Divide the mass in the vial by the volume of diluent added. Ten milligrams into two millilitres gives 5 mg/mL, or 5,000 mcg/mL. The calculator does both conversions at once.
How do I convert millilitres to syringe units?
Multiply the volume in millilitres by the units per millilitre on your syringe. On a U-100 syringe, 0.05 mL is 5 units. The calculator asks which syringe you are using and answers in its units.
Does this tell me how much to use?
No. It reports arithmetic only. It does not recommend amounts, schedules or routes, and nothing it returns is guidance of any kind.
What is bacteriostatic water used for here?
It is one of the diluents used to reconstitute lyophilised material. The calculator does not care which diluent you enter — it works from the volume you tell it.

Unit Converter

How many micrograms are in a milligram?
One thousand. One milligram equals 1,000 micrograms, and one microgram equals 0.001 milligrams.
How do I convert mcg to mg?
Divide by 1,000. So 250 mcg is 0.25 mg. Enter the figure and pick the units and the converter shows it directly.
Can it convert mass into volume?
No, and deliberately so. Mass and volume are separate scales; converting between them requires a concentration. Use the reconstitution calculator for that.

Margin & Cost Calculator

What is the difference between margin and markup?
Markup is profit as a percentage of your cost. Margin is profit as a percentage of your price. Buying at $100 and selling at $200 is a 100% markup and a 50% margin — same money, very different numbers.
How do I calculate break-even?
Divide fixed costs by profit per unit. If fixed costs are $2,000 and you make $130 per unit, you break even at 16 units. The calculator rounds up, because you cannot sell a fraction.
What margin should I target?
That depends entirely on your costs, market and volume, and this tool does not offer an opinion. It reports the arithmetic for the numbers you enter.

Body Metrics

What is the Mosteller formula for body surface area?
BSA in square metres equals the square root of height in centimetres multiplied by mass in kilograms, divided by 3,600. It is the simplest of the accepted formulae and the easiest to check by hand.
Why do Mosteller and Du Bois give different answers?
They are different empirical fits to different reference populations. Differences of a few percent are normal. The calculator shows both rather than implying one is authoritative.
Does this tool interpret BMI?
No. It returns the number and stops there. It offers no category, threshold or interpretation, and nothing it reports is health guidance.

Quick Links

Can I reorder the cards?
Yes. They sort alphabetically until you drag one, at which point your arrangement is saved. A reset returns them to A–Z.
Where does the site icon come from?
It is resolved from the site itself — the page's declared icon first, then its favicon file. If a site has neither, the card falls back to its initials rather than a broken image.
Can I add notes to a link?
Every card carries its own notes field, shown on the card. It is the right place for an account number or a reminder about reorder timing.

Inventory Log

Why track lot numbers?
A lot number is the only way to connect material you hold back to a specific shipment and supplier. If a question arises later — about condition, documentation or a discrepancy — it is what makes the answer findable.
Does it warn me before something expires?
Expiry is shown on every row and anything within sixty days is flagged, with anything already past marked clearly.
Can I track quantities in different units?
Yes. Each item carries its own unit — vials, millilitres, tablets — so the number always reads correctly for that item.

Contact Book

How is this different from my phone contacts?
It is shared with your account rather than a device, it carries company and role alongside the name, and it has a notes field for the context that phone contacts have nowhere to put.
Can I search across all fields?
Yes. One search field matches on name, company, role, email, phone and notes at once.

Document Vault

How far ahead does it warn me?
Anything expiring within sixty days is flagged on the row, and anything already past its date is marked as expired.
Can I store the actual documents here?
Each entry holds a link rather than the file itself, so your documents stay wherever you already keep them and this remains the index.
What kinds of documents should I track?
Anything with a date on it that would cause a problem if it lapsed — licences, registrations, insurance, certificates and agreements are the usual set.

Template Library

What templates are included?
Supplier intake checklist, receiving and lot log, record retention schedule, quarterly vendor review, new team member runbook, and an incident and deviation log.
Can I edit them?
They are intended to be edited. Copy or download any of them as plain text and adapt to how you actually work.
Are these legally compliant documents?
No. They are organisational starting points, not legal or regulatory advice. Check your retention periods and obligations against the rules that apply to you.

SOP Builder

How does versioning work?
Each procedure carries a version number that increments on every save, alongside the date it was last updated. It is a signal that something changed, not a full revision history.
What should I write an SOP for first?
The thing you explain most often. If you have described the same process out loud three times this month, that is the one.
Can my team see them?
Procedures belong to the account that wrote them. Team-wide sharing is on the roadmap rather than built today.

Network Referrals

Where do referrals come from?
From across the partner network — other sites and partners routing an enquiry to a provider who can help.
Am I notified?
Yes, by email as well as in the dashboard, so a referral does not sit unseen.

Partner Sites

Do new partners appear automatically?
Yes. The list is maintained centrally, so partners added to the network show up without you doing anything.

Wholesale Portal

What is a white-label portal?
A storefront that carries your brand rather than the platform's. Visitors see your name, colour and contact details; the software behind it is invisible to them.
Can I set my own prices?
Yes, per item. You can also list an item without a price if you would rather handle that in conversation.
Do people need an account to use my portal?
No. Your portal is public and takes enquiries from anyone. The request comes to you, and you decide what happens next.
What is the utilisation fee?
A percentage applied to activity through your portal, which you set. It is stored in basis points so the figure is held exactly.

Research Assistant

Does my data get sent to an AI provider?
Not unless a model is connected. By default the assistant searches locally and no third party is involved at all.
What will it refuse to do?
It will not discuss administering anything to a person or animal, suggest an amount, schedule or route, or describe an effect or benefit of any material.
What can it actually help with?
Finding items in the catalog, locating something in your inventory or contacts, pointing to the right procedure, drafting administrative text and doing arithmetic.

Programme ROI

How is retention applied?
It compounds monthly. Starting with 25 participants at 80% retention leaves 20 after one month, 16 after two, and so on for the length of the run.
Why does profit fall even when revenue looks fine?
Because overhead is charged every month while participant numbers decay. The month where those two lines cross is usually the useful thing to find.

QR & Link Builder

Are the QR codes trackable?
Yes, when generated from one of your short links. The code points at the short link, and every scan counts as a click.
Can I choose the short link name?
Yes, or leave it blank and a short random one is generated. Names must be three to forty characters and cannot shadow a system path.
Do QR codes expire?
No. The code encodes the short link, and the short link keeps working until you delete it.

Education Library

What does research use only actually mean?
It is a labelling designation marking material as intended for laboratory research and not for diagnostic or therapeutic use. It describes intended use rather than quality, and it narrows permitted use rather than widening it.
What should I look for on a certificate of analysis?
The lot number first, since everything else applies only to that lot. Then identity, purity with the method named, and whether results fall inside any stated specification range.

Research Use Only

What does "research use only" mean?
It is a labelling designation indicating that material is intended for laboratory research and not for diagnostic or therapeutic use in humans or animals. It describes intended use, not quality.
Does research use only mean lower quality?
No. The designation says nothing about purity or manufacturing standard. Quality is evidenced by documentation — a certificate of analysis for the specific lot, a stated purity with the method named — not by the label.
Can research use only material be used in people?
No. The designation explicitly excludes diagnostic and therapeutic use. It narrows intended use rather than granting permission for it.
What is the difference between RUO and clinical grade?
They describe different intended uses and different regulatory pathways. RUO material is labelled for laboratory research; material intended for use in people goes through an approval process that RUO material has not.
What records should I keep for RUO material?
At minimum the lot number, date received, quantity, condition on arrival, storage location and expiry. The lot number matters most, because it is the only handle connecting material back to a shipment and supplier.
Does a certificate of analysis make material safe to use?
No. A CoA is a measurement record for one lot, reporting identity, purity and physical characteristics. It answers what is in that lot and says nothing about suitability for any use.