The American College of Clinical Pharmacology (ACCP) has issued two position papers on dietary supplements and nutraceuticals, calling for greater regulatory oversight and uniform standards that increase transparency and improve product consistency.
 
At the same time, the ACCP cited a need to improve understanding and knowledge among healthcare professionals about complementary and integrative medicine, supplements and herbal products.
 
ACCP is a non-profit association providing accredited Continuing Education, publications and career-enhancing opportunities to clinical pharmacology healthcare professionals.
 
Regulatory Position
ACCP’s position statement on regulation is a call to action on improving the regulatory framework of dietary supplements and nutraceutical products to ensure healthcare professionals, consumers and patients have access to safe and accurately-labeled products.
 
The ACCP said it believes implementing and enforcing more stringent Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), labeling, promotional standards and activities, and establishing scientific monographs for existing products would improve public health and reduce the burden of preventable illness due to drug interactions, adulterants, and contaminants.
 
Continuing Education
In a separate but related position statement, ACCP called improving front-line healthcare professional (HCP) knowledge on complementary and integrative medicine, supplements and herbal products purported to improve health.
 
It said this need can be accomplished through inclusion of additional formal academic-based curricula or as professional continuing medical or pharmacy education (CME and CPE) and development options.
 
Because of the substantial and highly varied use of these products, the ACCP believes the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE and other relevant education accreditation bodies) must make this education a basic expectation for PharmD, RN, MD, DO and other front-line healthcare professionals.