Dietary supplement use among academic pharmacists

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Public Health
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Dietary supplement sales in the U.S. surpassed $18 billion in 2002.
• Dietary supplement use is prevalent among the general American population.
• Existing data on supplement use primarily focuses on retail or community pharmacists.

Purpose of the Study:

• To survey academic pharmacists regarding their use of dietary supplements and herbs.
• To understand the usage patterns of dietary supplements and herbs within this knowledgeable professional group.

Main Methods:

• A survey was developed and distributed to academic pharmacists.
• Data collected focused on the types and frequency of dietary supplement and herb usage.

Main Results:

• 54% of surveyed academic pharmacists reported using dietary supplements or herbs.
• The most commonly used supplements among academic pharmacists were not among the top ten most popular nationally.
• Multivitamins were the most frequently reported supplement, indicating no excessive or unusual usage patterns.

Conclusions:

• Academic pharmacists represent a unique demographic for studying supplement use.
• Their usage patterns may differ from the general population or community pharmacists.
• Further research could explore the clinical value assessment of supplements by academic pharmacists.