Minnesota "Consumers First" Campaign Offers Info On Nutraceuticals Safety
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Avoiding "flashy marketing tactics or products that profess to have a secret formula," discussing nutraceutical use with a health care professional and "educating yourself about proper dosing of specific nutraceuticals" are among 10 tips for safe use of dietary supplements highlighted by the Minnesota "Consumers First" public education campaign.
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Avoiding "flashy marketing tactics or products that profess to have a secret formula," discussing nutraceutical use with a health care professional and "educating yourself about proper dosing of specific nutraceuticals" are among 10 tips for safe use of dietary supplements highlighted by the Minnesota "Consumers First" public education campaign. An effort to educate consumers about the safety issues involved in the use of nutraceuticals, the program was created by a handful of Minnesota state health care organizations and is funded by Minneapolis-based pharmaceutical and dietary supplement marketer Upsher-Smith Labs. Consumers First is disseminating information to consumers through the Internet. The program offers a Web site with facts about nutraceuticals and links to authoritative sites including FDA and the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. The site does not offer links to product sale pages. The campaign also is spreading its message through brochures and other informational materials distributed to member organizations' constituents. Consumers First supporters include: the American Nutraceutical Association, the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, the Minnesota Pharmacists Association, HealthPartners, HealthEast Care System, the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association of Minnesota, the Minnesota Stroke Association, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill and the Parkinson Association of Minnesota. The objectives of the effort are to "encourage consumers to educate themselves about the benefits and potential dangers of nutraceuticals, [and] encourage the manufacturers of nutraceutical products to responsibly market them with the safety and health of consumers first." The program also aims to "encourage communication between consumers and physicians, pharmacists or other health care professionals regarding the safe consumption, benefits and potential side effects of nutraceuticals." The program in Minnesota is a starting point for the campaign, Consumers First said. Once the best methods are chosen and contacts are established, the effort is expected to be expanded nationwide. |