Abstract
Objective: To assess pharmacists’ knowledge with regards registered dietary supplements DS and their perception toward DS registration by the ministry of health MOH
 Methods: A questionnaire was designed to assess pharmacists’ knowledge about newly registered food supplements (registered after 2012) and to assess their view about the current measures followed by MOH in registering these supplements. The questionnaire was distributed to pharmacists in West Bank–Palestine during the period from December 2017 to March 2018. Data collected were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences program (SPSS) version 10.
 Results: Pharmacists’ knowledge with regards to registered DS was high with approximately 86% have recorded the right answers. Their perception about the current increasing registration of DS, pharmacists (67%) thinks that ‘what available DS in the market’ is enough and there is no need for more DS to be registered. Almost half of the pharmacists (48%) think that the information provided regarding dietary supplements is inadequate and almost 30% think is adequate. More than 70% of the pharmacists they never or rarely access the MOH web site to access for information about DS.
 Conclusion: This study highlighted the importance of controlling DS registration by the MOH and the necessity to effectively update pharmacists about these DS for effective counseling.
Highlights
Dietary supplements [1] are defined by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as any product intended for ingestion to add further nutritional value to conventional food [2]
Minerals, amino acids, enzymes, fibers, and herbal supplements sold in Palestine have been classified and registered by the Ministry of Health under the category of ‘dietary supplements’ [3]
The questionnaire was divided into three sections, with section one contains information about pharmacists’ demographic information, section two contained nine multiple-choice questions to assess pharmacists’ knowledge regarding newly registered DS available in the market, and section 3 contained six statements to explore pharmacists’ perception towards DS registration in Palestine
Summary
Dietary supplements [1] are defined by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as any product intended for ingestion to add further nutritional value to conventional food [2]. Popular supplements in the market include vitamins; minerals; herbs and some specialty supplements such as fibers, glucosamine, probiotics, and fish oils [2]. Minerals, amino acids, enzymes, fibers, and herbal supplements sold in Palestine have been classified and registered by the Ministry of Health under the category of ‘dietary supplements’ [3]. Since 2012, the number of DS registered in Palestine has increased over the years, with more than 290 products have been registered [3] and available to consumers. Such an increase has resulted in growing numbers of consumers seeking information about the use, effectiveness, and possible side effects of DS
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