Robert Biberdorf, assistant professor of pharmacy practiceand executive partner for MeritCare Pharmacy Services, joined more than 80 other professors and graduate students from universities throughout the U.S. and around the world to participate in the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements course, “Dietary Supplement Research Practicum 2009.”  The practicum was held on the National Institutes of Health campus in Bethesda, Md., June 1-5.  

The Office of Dietary Supplements offers this annual intensive course to provide essential knowledge of dietary supplements to academic faculty and their doctoral or post-doctoral students with a serious interest in the subject. Experts from the National Institutes of Health, academic institutions and federal regulatory agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration served as speakers.

On June 3, participants spent the day in Washington, D.C., meeting with representatives from the U.S. Congress, the dietary supplement industry, media and consumer advocacy groups that study, advocate, regulate or educate about dietary supplements.

The Office of Dietary Supplements practicum provides a thorough overview of issues, concepts, unknowns and controversies about dietary supplements and supplement ingredients. It also emphasizes the importance of scientific investigations to evaluate the efficacy, safety and value of these products for health promotion and disease prevention and treatment, as well as how to carry out this type of research.