Internet marketing of herbal products
Internet marketing of herbal products
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DOI：
10.1001/jama.290.11.1505
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发表时间：
2003-09-17
影响因子：
120.7
通讯作者：
Avorn, J
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Morris, CA;Avorn, J
1994年通过的《膳食补充剂健康与教育法》限制了食品和药物管理局对膳食补充剂的控制，导致其推广的巨大增长。消费者经常使用互联网作为这类疗法的信息来源。目的对8种畅销中药产品的网上信息及适应症进行评价。我们使用5种最常用的搜索引擎搜索互联网。对于每一种，我们输入了8种最广泛使用的草药补充剂的名称（银杏叶、圣约翰草、紫锥菊、人参、大蒜、锯棕榈、卡瓦卡瓦和缬草根）。我们分析了搜索结果第一页列出的所有网站的健康内容。研究选择我们分析了所有可访问的与口服草药补充剂相关的英文网站。共确定了522个网站；其中，443个站点符合纳入分析的标准。数据提取Web站点的性质（零售或非零售），它是否是赞助链接，以及所有引用、指示、声明和免责声明都被记录下来。根据食品和药物管理局的标准，两名审稿人独立地将医疗声明分类为疾病或非疾病。在443个网站中，338个（76%）是零售网站，要么销售产品，要么直接与供应商联系在一起。在338个零售网站中，共有273个（81%）发布了一项或多项健康声明；其中，149家（55%）声称能够治疗、预防、诊断或治愈特定疾病。超过一半（153/292;52%）的健康声明网站省略了标准的联邦免责声明。非零售网站比零售网站更有可能包含文献参考，尽管443个网站中只有52个（12%）提供参考信息而没有链接到经销商或供应商。结论：消费者可能会被销售商声称草药产品可以治疗、预防、诊断或治愈特定疾病所误导，尽管法规禁止这样的声明。医生应该意识到这一广泛而容易获得的信息。需要更有效的监管，以使这类治疗药物与其他药品一样以证据为基础。
Context Passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act in 1994 restricted the Food and Drug Administration's control over dietary supplements, leading to enormous growth in their promotion. The Internet is often used by consumers as a source of information on such therapies.Objective To assess the information presented and indications claimed on the Internet for the 8 best-selling herbal products.Data Sources We searched the Internet using the 5 most commonly used search engines. For each, we entered the names of the 8 most widely used herbal supplements (ginkgo biloba, St John's wort, echinacea, ginseng, garlic, saw palmetto, kava kava, and valerian root). We analyzed the health content of all Web sites listed on the first page of the search results.Study Selection We analyzed all accessible, English-language Web sites that pertained to oral herbal supplements. A total of 522 Web sites were identified; of these, 443 sites met inclusion criteria for the analysis.Data Extraction The nature of the Web site (retail or nonretail), whether it was a sponsored link, and all references, indications, claims, and disclaimers were recorded. Two reviewers independently categorized medical claims as disease or nondisease according to Food and Drug Administration criteria.Data Synthesis Among 443 Web sites, 338 (76%) were retail sites either selling product or directly linked to a vendor. A total of 273 (81%) of the 338 retail Web sites made 1 or more health claims; of these, 149 (55%) claimed to treat, prevent, diagnose, or cure specific diseases. More than half (153/292; 52%) of sites with a health claim omitted the standard federal disclaimer. Nonretail sites were more likely than retail sites to include literature references, although only 52 (12%) of the 443 Web sites provided referenced information without a link to a distributor or vendor.Conclusions Consumers maybe misled, by vendors' claims that herbal products can treat, prevent, diagnose, or cure specific diseases, despite regulations prohibiting such statements. Physicians should be aware of this widespread and easily accessible information. More effective regulation is required to put this class of therapeutics on the same evidence-based footing as other medicinal products.