Dietary Supplement Education for Primary Care Providers
Work Type
Poster
Abstract
Dietary supplements (DS) include vitamins, minerals, and herbs; typically intended to supplement diet and/or improve health
Estimated 3 in 5 adults use DS; popularity has risen due to the rise of holistic health and marketing
DS are not regulated by the FDA until products are reported problematic by consumers
Many supplements inhibit or alter CYP activity, which regulates metabolism of many prescription drugs; other supplements inhibit or alter p-glycoprotein activity, which is a drug transporter responsible for preventing accumulation of drugs within cells
Limited nutrition education in medical curriculum for physicians and PAs, largely due to insufficient curriculum time, lack of research on DS, and challenges implementing patient education into practice
59% of PAs endorse dissatisfaction with their nutrition training; there lies a significant gap between provider knowledge and patient use
NRC recommends 25-30h of nutrition education in the medical curriculum, but a survey of 121 medical schools revealed an average 19h of education, and 36% of programs requiring less than 12h
The goal of my project is to provide concise education for learners and primary care providers on common dietary supplements (DS) and interactions they should be aware of
Publication Date
5-20-2026
Citation Information
Bunday, Lindsey, "Dietary Supplement Education for Primary Care Providers" (2026). Student Works Physician Assistant. 20.
https://digitalcommons.dmu.edu/stu_pa/20
