Attitude Survey Data on Interaction between Dietary Supplements and Medicines

Since "Foods with Function Claims" system was established in 2015, the percentage of people taking health foods and supplements is gradually increasing. The number of people taking both dietary supplements and medicines is also increasing. Therefore, providing information on interaction between dietary supplements and medicines has become increasingly important. We have conducted a study for understanding the awareness of the consumers on the interaction of health foods and supplements with medicines. The ratio of those who do not consult with an informed opinion on the interaction between health foods and supplements with medicines was 76% and 55.2% admitted that they did not experience any side effects as a result of this interaction. In conclusion, the understanding of the interaction between health foods and medication among consumers is still limited and most of them do not consult with specialized physicians. It has been revealed that efforts to expanding the consumers understanding on the risk of interaction between supplements and medicines are necessary. It was suggested that the "Database for guiding the interaction between medicines and health foods" could be a useful tool for providing this type of information.