It is widely recognized that alternative therapies have increased in use, and pharmacists are being asked more often to provide information on these products. Alternative therapy products are classified as “dietary supplements,” according to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA). In section 3 of DSHEA, a dietary supplement is defined as a product intended to supplement the diet and contains one or more of the following: a vitamin, a mineral, or an herb or other botanical or amino acid. According to section 4, these products are excluded from the regulatory approval of the Food and Drug Administration. It is the goal of this feature to provide a critical and unbiased evaluation of alternative therapy products.
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