Dietary supplements:  physician knowledge and adverse event reporting.
OBJECTIVE
Dietary supplement (DS) use among US military personnel is widespread. Many consume several different DS with multiple ingredients one or more times each week, representing a potential public health concern. The overall purpose of the study was to assess the knowledge and behaviors of health professionals and physicians regarding patterns of DS use and possible adverse events (AE) associated with DS use. We also determined how providers address the issue of DS with patients and evaluated provider knowledge regarding reporting systems.


METHODS
Two prospective, cross-sectional, web-based questionnaires were administered. First, health care providers who accessed the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database to gather evidenced-based information on DS and herbal products were queried. Second, physicians who had graduated from the Uniformed Services University were sent a web-based questionnaire regarding DS knowledge, AE knowledge and reporting, and communication with patients about DS. The frequencies of responses were evaluated.


RESULTS
Although 60% of the military physicians who responded to the questionnaires believed they had observed AE in association with a DS, only 18% actually reported them. Three of four physician respondents (approximately 73%) did not know how or where to report AE associated with DS. The majority of physicians (66%) routinely asked most of their patients about DS use, and 65% did not have a reliable source of information for herbal and DS products.


CONCLUSIONS
Information gaps in DS information and AE reporting were identified. A centralized AE reporting system could serve to identify potentially harmful DS for further evaluation. Health professionals need to remain vigilant for AE associated with DS use and better informed on how to report these events.
Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD 20814-4799, USA.
Matthew
M
Cellini
Selasi
S
Attipoe
Paul
P
Seales
Robert
R
Gray
Andrew
A
Ward
Mark
M
Stephens
Patricia A
PA
Deuster
D000328:Adult; D016907:Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States