A variety of supplement-drug interactions has been identified, and therefore health scientists should be aware of the proper usage of nutritional supplements. The main aim of this study was to assess beliefs and knowledge related to nutritional supplements among pharmacy students. A cross-sectional study was conducted in order to assess beliefs and knowledge related to nutritional supplements among pharmacy students. A literature review on nutritional supplements was conducted in order to develop a 24-item questionnaire, and expert indications established its face and content validity. Τhe sample was comprised of 142 pharmacy students in Cyprus, whose results are presented. The majority of the participants was receiving nutritional supplements (66.9%) and believed that nutritional supplements may interact and may have toxic effects. Those in the higher years of study scored higher in knowledge than those in the lower ones. The mean scores (mean ± SD) on the knowledge about nutritional supplements by the years of study were 9.14 ± 2.67, 8.71 ± 2.92, 9.91 ± 2.08, 11.16 ± 3.00, and 15.76 ± 2.67 and compared using one-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni correction. The level of statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. The study showed that pharmacy students are adequately informed about nutritional supplements and that this subject is essential for the curriculum of pharmaceutical studies.
Keywords: Knowledge; beliefs; nutritional supplements; pharmacy students.