Drug and Supplement Regulation in America: Divergent Systems Lead to Health Dangers

Dietary supplements consumed by many in the United States can seriously interact with other drugs and/or medications having potentially lethal side effects. Such supplements are marketed with little regulatory oversight from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As many supplements are taken for their health effects, as are drugs and medications, the regulations imposed by the FDA on drugs should be examined and comparative regulation developed for supplements. A comparison of the two systems of regulation leads to the logical conclusion that supplements should be regulated in a manner similar to over-the-counter drugs.Master of Public Healt