DIETARY SUPPLEMENT STANDARDS NEED STRENGTHENING, IOM SAYS

The Institute of Medicine has issued a report recommending that dietary supplements be subject to much more stringent rules governing safety and effectiveness -- much in the same way prescription drugs are regulated.

To achieve this goal, the institute urged that the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) be amended to strengthen consumer protection; research into how supplements are used by consumers; seed-to-shelf quality-control; enforcement against inaccurate and misleading claims; the accuracy of labeling; and incentives for research into the effectiveness of products.

Although the committee said DSHEA designated that dietary supplements be regulated in the same way as food, exempting supplement manufacturers from conducting safety testing on their products before they are sold, the trade association Council for Responsible Nutrition maintains that supplements have been considered food since passage of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938.

The report, drafted by the institute's Committee on the Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine by the American Public, said the enhanced safety standards are necessary to enhance product reliability. The committee also noted that improved safety regulations would give manufacturers more incentive to invest resources in improving product standardization.

To view a copy of the institute's report, go to http://www.nap.edu/books/0309092701/html (http://www.nap.edu/books/0309092701/html).