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Do natural health food stores require regulation?

AIM
To compare advice provided by health food stores (HFS) and pharmacies in relation to medical conditions and assess the need for regulation of HFS.


METHODS
We assessed the advice provided by 26 health food stores (HFS) and 26 pharmacies to an individual presenting with symptoms suggestive of moderate to severe asthma who had not seen a general practitioner.


RESULTS
The advice provided by the two stores differed markedly. 22/26 pharmacy staff diagnosed asthma/probable asthma, whereas only 15/26 HFS staff reached the same conclusion. 92.3% of pharmacy staff compared to 34.6% of HFS staff referred the investigator to a doctor; 5 HFS advised the investigator against seeing a doctor. A wide variety of remedies were recommended by the HFS, none of which are known to be beneficial in the treatment of asthma.


CONCLUSION
HFS promoting herbal products for medical conditions should be regulated in a similar fashion to shops that dispense pharmaceutical products.