American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists Advises Consumers To Research Dietary Supplements Before Purchase

WASHINGTON, DC -- At the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Dietary Supplements Forum this week, a scientist warned consumers that reading labels and comparing prices are not the best means to determine a dietary supplement’s efficacy and potential side effects. Larry Augsburger, Ph.D., immediate past president of AAPS, chair of the meeting and professor at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, stressed that consumers need to engage in critical pre-purchase research on any dietary supplement they wish to purchase.

"Currently consumers have no clear basis for determining product quality," said Augsburger. "In fact, a product testing industry has evolved that has the potential to prey on consumers by selling a ‘seal of approval’ that may or may not be meaningful. Until government or industry standards are put into place, consumers must take it upon themselves to learn the nuances of dietary supplements and to protect themselves from potential dangers, not to mention from wasting their money on less-than-efficacious products." Augsburger recommends that consumers know the answers to these questions:

• Could the product interact negatively with prescription medications you may be taking? Case in point, a highly marketed energy bar for women does not warn against excessive doses of Vitamin-K that could interfere with certain blood clotting medications.
• Is the product absorbable in its purchased form? People assume that anything in a capsule or pill gets absorbed into the body. The fact is, substances added to herbs or botanicals to create the capsule or pill can affect their ability to be absorbed. For example, in a recent study, two out of nine commercial Melatonin products did not disintegrate after more than 20 hours.
• Are there additional warnings or cautions about the category of dietary supplements that the manufacturer chose to omit? For example, a popular over-the-counter memory concentrate containing ginkgo biloba has potential drug interactions with medicines that prevent blood-clotting, yet the label has no warnings.

Another suggestion is that consumers only use products cited in successful clinical trials. Interested parties can obtain this information by reviewing original studies via internet or by contacting the study’s author.

Augsburger also cautioned consumers against choosing products based solely on price: there are no hard and fast rules that link price with quality or lack of quality. Where to Go for Help Several independent organizations exist with the purpose of insuring quality and consistency in dietary supplements. The following may be helpful to consumers serious about researching popular over-the-counter dietary supplements:

• Consumerlabs.com
• Quackwatch.com
• Local poison control centers
• Local universities with pharmacy schools
• Local pharmacists

The AAPS Dietary Supplements Forum is taking place June 28-30 at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. Organizations participating include: AAPS, Council for Responsible Nutrition, American Nutraceutical Association, US Pharmacopeia, FDA, NIH, Consumer and Healthcare Products Association, American Herbal Products Association and various universities and pharmaceutical companies.

AAPS is a professional, scientific society of more than 10,000 members employed by academia, industry, government and other research institutes worldwide. Founded in 1986, AAPS aims to advance science through the open exchange of scientific knowledge, serve as an information resource, and contribute to human health through pharmaceutical research and development. For more information about AAPS, visit AAPS Online at www.aaps.org.

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Editor’s Note -- To interview Dr. Augsburger this week call the press room through Friday at noon, 202- 292-5092 or 5093 or Lisa Mozloom at 305-528-5341. After the meeting call Amy Miller at 703-248-4740.