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The researchers cross-referenced self-reported use of dietary supplements with prescription of medications by VA health care providers, and potential interactions were identified from various sources and medical searches.

All 458 patients surveyed were prescribed prescription medications, with an average of seven oral prescriptions per patient in Pittsburgh and six oral prescriptions per patient in Los Angeles. Of these patients, 197 or 43 percent were taking at least one dietary supplement and the average consumption was three dietary supplements per day. Pharmacies and grocery stores were the most common places of purchase of dietary supplements. A monthly expenditure of less than $25 on supplements was reported by 83 percent of the patients surveyed from Pittsburgh and 72 percent of the patients surveyed from Los Angeles. The most common reported sources of information regarding dietary supplements were friends or relatives and books or magazines.

Among the patients taking supplements, 48 percent of the Pittsburgh patients and 43 percent of the Los Angeles patients had potential drug-dietary supplement interactions of any significance. Most patients had one or two possible drug-dietary supplement interactions, with 7 patients in Pittsburgh and 12 in Los Angeles having more than three potential drug-dietary supplement interactions. Most of the potential interactions found were with Ginseng, Garlic, Gingko biloba and Coenzyme Q.

"Our findings help provide a context for ongoing discussions about the risks of drug-dietary supplement interactions and raise concerns regarding subsequent adverse events. In future studies, we recommend a much larger and broader patient sample to better quantify the incidence of potentially severe int
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Contact: Maureen McGaffin
McGaffinME@upmc.edu
412-647-3555
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
22-Mar-2004