CAM‐A‐Lot

Geri Buderwitz, Nick Leso, and Sydney Springer, Pharm.D. students; Dr. Katherine Orr, Clinical Associate Professor, Pharmacy; and Dr. Anne Hume, Professor, Pharmacy Practice. A Broadway musical and Oscar award winning classic film? No, but entertaining just the same! Many Americans use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) such as herbals, folk remedies and others to maintain their health, lose weight, and sometimes in place of prescription drugs. Some use herbals because they have been used by their families for years or because online ads have claimed to be “miracle” cures. Just because they’re “natural”, are they really safe and effective? We will present a brief overview of supplements with a focus on marketing and how to tell what’s true, as well as the dangers of buying these products online. In addition, a selection of student‐developed brief public service announcements (PSAs) from the 2013 and 2014 PHP/BPS 418 Self‐Care course will be shown followed by a discussion of key points by several P3 and P4 students. The selected PSAs will focus on products used by diverse communities in Rhode Island and New England, as well as dietary supplements commonly promoted to college students