Abstract
Dietary supplementation is increasingly sought after by consumers looking to meet the demands of a modern lifestyle. Effective supplementation requires knowledge of the purpose and proper use of nutritional supplements. Unverified or inadequate guidance on supplementation can propagate misconceptions and increase undue fears of side effects. Community pharmacists are best placed to guide consumers on nutritional supplement use. In this review, a panel comprised of community pharmacists, pharmacy academia, and dietitians (n = 6) convened to provide an experience- and evidence-based guidance on rational drug use, patient education, and integrated and personalized nutrition care in both community and hospital pharmacy settings. A novel framework to guide community pharmacist-led consultations on supplementation is proposed. The four-step CARE (Categorize, Assess, Recommend, Empower) guide was developed to facilitate and optimize outcomes of pharmacist-led nutritional supplement consultation. Telehealth advancements in the form of digital health applications and personalized nutrigenomic DNA testing support Integrative Nutrition Care, and will further promote appropriate supplementation use to improve overall well-being in the community. Practical implementation of the CARE guide is necessary to ascertain its applicability for optimizing outcomes of pharmacist-led consultation and the recommendation of nutritional supplements.
Highlights
The Role of Supplementation in Modern SocietyThere is a suboptimal average intake of foods such as whole grains, milk, fruits and vegetables [1], and an insufficient intake of key micronutrients such as calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamins
Dietary supplementation is increasingly sought after by consumers looking to meet the demands of a modern lifestyle
The Malaysian Adult Nutrition survey conducted in 2014 found that the median intake of vitamin C and vitamin B1 was about half of the recommended nutrient intake, while that for calcium was less than half of the recommended level [5]
Summary
There is a suboptimal average intake of foods such as whole grains, milk, fruits and vegetables [1], and an insufficient intake of key micronutrients such as calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamins. Continuous competency trainings in supplementation consultancy will better position community pharmacists to guide consumers on supplement intake [10], as demonstrated by the fluoride supplementation for optimum dental care [11], folic acid supplementation during pre-conception planning [7], and calcium and vitamin D supplementation for bone health [12] The authors summarized their experience and expertise on consumer interactions pertaining to appropriate supplementation, in. Refer, and connect consumers to relevant support groups, where they can interact with like-minded individuals Drawing on their collective experience, a panel of community pharmacists, pharmacy academia, and dietitians (n = 6) convened in a workshop to further propose a new framework to guide fellow community pharmacists in conducting systematic consultations on supplementation, to drive more effective and appropriate use of nutritional supplements within the community.
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