05.01.04
On April 1st, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) released its report, titled, “Dietary Supplements: A Framework for Evaluating Safety,” which outlines a science-based process for assessing supplement ingredients, even when data about a substance’s safety in humans is scarce. According to IOM, several surveys have indicated that although manufacturers are restricted from claiming that using their products leads to therapeutic benefits, many consumers are taking supplements for purposes such as treating colds or alleviating depression. Additionally, a majority of consumers believe these products to be either reasonably or completely safe. To this end, IOM feels the release of this report will bolster FDA’s ability to evaluate the safety of dietary supplements. This approach to safety evaluation, IOM said, works within the regulatory parameters set by the DSHEA, which does not require manufacturers to provide safety data on their products. The report also stated, however, that supplement makers, the public and others need to increase their reporting of health problems related to supplement use in order to further improve the agency’s ability to protect consumers.