September 2007

Quiz reveals MDs need to know more about supplements

Are medical doctors knowledgeable about the supplements their patients use?

A study conducted by internal medicine researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine says “no.”

According to The Washington Post article titled “Doctors flunk quiz about supplements their patients use,” written by Sandra G. Boodman, a recent study conducted by the researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and led by Bimal H. Ashar found that medical doctors know surprisingly little about over-the-counter vitamins and herbs.

The researchers surveyed 355 physicians, 90 percent of them residents, at 15 internal-medicine programs around the country. Each physician completed a brief online test assessing his knowledge about the regulation of the supplement industry, followed by an online tutorial and a second quiz to measure what he had learned.

According to the article, physicians scored an average of 59 percent on the first test and a 91 percent after completing the course.

Authors of the study suggest that doctors’ general ignorance about dietary supplements may help explain why so few adverse events are reported to the FDA’s MedWatch system.

Source: The Washington Post, www.washingtonpost.com

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