Abstract
While the sales of dietary supplement products have been rapidly increasing, some consumers use such supplements wrongly, in fact. For safety of consumers, it is essential to educate medical care providers and supplement sales staff because they should play an important role to provide consumers with correct information. Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. implemented the "Otsuka Academy Vitamin Program" to provide the latest and most correct information about vitamins and minerals. Fully supported by the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, the US nutritional education program has been modified to the Japanese version consisting of three seminars (at Tokyo and Osaka) and correspondence education with texts for one year. In the seminars, domestic and foreign researchers and nutritional experts give presentations about various benefits of vitamins and minerals based on the latest data; and in the texts, fundamental information about vitamins and minerals is found. The program participants who obtain sufficient credits can receive a certification issued by the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition and a name badge indicating "Vitamin Adviser". A total of 9,314 of doctors, pharmacists, dietitians, and other medical care providers have participated the program so far. They actually conduct advising and consulting activities about vitamin and mineral for consumers. Otsuka Pharmaceutical also continues to provide the latest and most correct information for them after completion of the program through newsletters and inquiries via facsimile and the Internet. As correct information is vital to select the optimal supplement for each consumer, the education of advisers should greatly contribute to the health care of the consumers.
