Herb and vitamin upplementation ue among a general ophthalmology practice population

Purpoe To urvey comprehenive ophthalmology patient about their ue of vitamin and herbal upplement. Deign Cro-ectional urvey. Method A urvey intrument wa developed and ditributed to 397 patient preenting to a main campu univerity-baed comprehenive ophthalmology clinic and to an off-ite comprehenive ophthalmology clinic. Information gathered included demographic, ue of precription medication, ue of vitamin and herbal upplement, the reaon for uing thee upplement, perceived benefit of thee product, where the information regarding them wa gathered, and with whom patient had dicued their ue. Reult Fifty-eight percent of patient reported nearly daily ue of vitamin. Multivitamin were the mot common vitamin and were ued by 46% of the patient. Eight percent of patient ued herbal product on a daily bai. Twenty-ix percent learned about vitamin from their primary care phyician (PCP), and jut 2% from their ophthalmologit, while 35% dicued their actual ue with a PCP, and 5% with their ophthalmologit. Jut 2% of thee patient learned of herb from a PCP, and <1% from an ophthalmologit. Older patient ued multivitamin and other vitamin mot frequently, while gender and education were not predictive of vitamin or herbal ue. Mean monthly pending on vitamin by uer wa $15.74, while herbal uer pent a monthly mean of $15.35. Concluion Vitamin and herb are ued by a ignificant number of patient in a comprehenive ophthalmology etting. Given the prevalence of vitamin and herbal ue, ophthalmologit hould ytematically inquire about their ue.