January 17, 2003 – “The majority of patients do not inform their doctor about the supplements they take and, conversely, doctors do not ask their patients about it. »So expresses DD Sylvie Dodin, holder of the Lucie and André Chagnon Chair for the Advancement of an Integral Approach to Health at Laval University, invited to comment on this recent observational study on supplements and the incidence of side effects and dangers that they can lead.
One of the problems, she adds, is that doctors still know very little about the side effects of these products as well as the interactions between supplements and drugs. On the one hand, because there is still little information available and on the other hand, because the side effects of supplements and their interactions with other drugs or natural products are not listed. “
DD Dodin believes, however, that one of the objectives set by the chair she heads – the integration of alternative and complementary medicine (CAM) in medical education – will improve the knowledge of physicians on supplements and also on MACs.
She would like Health Canada, its chair and other organizations working in the field of CAMs to work with pharmacies to facilitate the exchange of knowledge.
Stéphane Gagné – PasseportSanté.net
