Volume 4   Issue  38                      January   2005

                 

Standards Urged for Dietary Supplements
Panel says tougher regulations needed to ensure safety
MSNBC, January 12, 2005

WASHINGTON - With nearly one-fifth of Americans taking dietary supplements, the Institute of Medicine on Wednesday called for tougher regulations to make sure the products are safe and do what they claim.

The institute expressed concern about the quality of dietary supplements, saying “there is little product reliability.” This makes it difficult for health professionals to guide patients in use of supplements, the report said. The panel urged that Congress take steps to require improved quality control of supplements and to provide incentives to study the efficacy of the products. “Reliable and standardized products are needed,” Dr. Stuart Bondurant, chairman of the committee that prepared the report, said at a briefing Wednesday.

In a 327-page report, the institute also urged that complimentary and alternative medical procedures, such as herbal remedies and acupuncture, be required to meet the same standards of effectiveness as conventional medical treatments.

Dr. Stephen E. Straus, director of the government’s National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine, said requiring the same research standards “will further the scientific investigation of this new field, increase its legitimacy as a research area and ultimately improve public health.”

© 2005 The Associated Press.
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