APhA Policy Manual

1. APhA shall work with Congress to modify the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act or enact other laws, regulation, or policies to require that dietary supplement manufacturers provide evidence of efficacy and safety for all products, including products currently in the marketplace.
2. APhA supports the establishment and implementation of clear and effective enforcement policies to remove promptly unsafe or ineffective dietary supplement products from the marketplace.
3. APhA shall work with the FDA to improve dietary supplement product labeling to ensure full disclosure of all product components and their source with associated strengths and recommendations for use in specific patient populations.
4. APhA supports the development and enforcement of dietary supplement good manufacturing practices (GMPs) and compliance with USP/NF standards to ensure quality, safe, contaminant-free products.
5. APhA encourages health care professionals, manufacturers, and consumers to report adverse health events associated with dietary supplements. APhA encourages the FDA to create a database with this information and make it available to all interested parties.

1. APhA supports pharmacists using professional judgment to make informed decisions regarding the appropriateness of use or the sale of complementary and alternative medicines.
2. APhA shall assist pharmacists and student pharmacists in becoming knowledgeable about complementary and alternative medications to facilitate the counseling of patients regarding effectiveness, proper use, indications, safety, and possible interactions.

1. APhA supports the demonstration of safety and efficacy of homeopathic products from adequate, well-designed scientific studies before pharmacists advocate or sell homeopathic products.
2. APhA recognizes patient autonomy regarding the use of homeopathic products. Pharmacists should educate patients who choose to use homeopathic products.
3. APhA supports the modification of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to require that homeopathic manufacturers provide evidence of efficacy and safety for all products, including products currently in the marketplace.

APhA encourages efforts that would require the listing of all active ingredients of a food promoted as a drug or drug product in written promotional and advertising material.

1. APhA advocates programs which address the public health implications of the misuse and/or abuse of vitamins, minerals, and other nutritional supplements.
2. APhA encourages pharmacists to provide health education regarding unsubstantiated and/or misleading health claims as they apply to vitamins, minerals, and other nutritional supplements.

APhA encourages manufacturers of processed foods to voluntarily reduce the salt (sodium chloride) added to their products and to use the minimum amount of salt necessary in the manufacturing process.

APhA supports requirements for disclosure in the labeling of processed food and the identity and, whenever appropriate, the quantity of ingredients, such as those preservatives, artificial colors and flavors, salts, sugars, and other substances that represent a potential risk to the health or therapy of a portion of the general population.