GPs unaware of older patients’ supplement use: Study

Revealed in BMC Major Care​, the brand new analysis highlights the potential risks of drug/complement interactions. It additionally states that 60% of the GPs surveyed had been prepared to deprescribe not less than one complement their sufferers had been utilizing with out their data. 

Among the many research group of older sufferers with polypharmacy, 70% reported taking not less than one complement, and the principle cause was common well being, adopted by muscle, joint or bone well being.  

Nutritional vitamins and minerals had been essentially the most generally used dietary supplements, particularly vitamin D, magnesium and vitamin B12, that are lined by necessary medical insurance in Switzerland when prescribed by a doctor. 

Consistent with earlier research, respondents reported a lack of information about dietary dietary supplements, together with their dangers and advantages. The survey additionally revealed discrepancies between the variety of drugs and dietary supplements reported by GPs and sufferers.  

“The discovering that many dietary supplements will not be disclosed reinforces the truth that GPs ought to actively ask their sufferers about their use of dietary dietary supplements together with non-prescription ones, in order that they’ll establish potential dangers, drug-supplement and supplement-disease interactions, and lack of indications,” the researchers wrote.

Many of the older sufferers had been unwilling to have any dietary supplements deprescribed, which the authors famous aligns with a earlier research. They stated this can be attributable to sufferers’ constructive attitudes in the direction of dietary supplements and an general lack of know-how about them.