Is My Patient Taking an Unsafe Dietary Supplement?

Ilisa B G Bernstein, Karin L Bolte

Dietary supplements do not require premarket approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), yet they can have side effects; interact with medications, food, or other supplements; or be unsafe, so it is important for clinicians to discuss dietary supplement use with patients. This article provides an overview of dietary supplement requirements related to safety, manufacturing, labeling, advertising, and adverse event reporting; discusses tainted supplements and the FDA's and Federal Trade Commission's enforcement actions against dietary supplements; and offers recommendations to clinicians on matters of key clinical and ethical importance during clinical encounters.