Tighter Regulation of Supplements Is Urged

Dr. Altman noted that the medical literature contains virtually no data on which brand of supplements or herbal preparations most closely resemble their labeling. Nor is country of manufacture a good guideline, Dr. Altman said.

The unreliability of labeling puts both physicians and patients in a bind, he said. “It does present a real dilemma, because even if it's a safe product, like glucosamine, and you'd like to use it, there is no way of really knowing for certain what you're getting. I try and steer my patients toward brands I have personally investigated and feel comfortable with, but there are no databases that contain this information, so people can't make informed choices.”

'I try and steer my patients toward brands I have personally investigated and feel comfortable with.' DR. ALTMAN

The FDA should be tracking all levels of adverse events related to the use of dietary supplements, the GAO report says. ©