(P24-076-23) Forging a Way Forward for Safe Dietary Supplement Use: Development of a Mobile App

Objectives: Operation Supplement Safety (OPSS), the Department of Defense (DoD) go-to program on dietary supplements (DS), has designed a mobile application (OPSSupp) to help military personnel easily identify potentially harmful ingredients in DS. This “one-stop-app,” will bridge the gap in helping all users make informed decisions.

Methods: DoD Instruction (DoDI) 6130.06, Use of Dietary Supplements in the DoD, states that OPSS will maintain the official DoD Prohibited Dietary Supplement Ingredients List and provide DS educational training. OPSSupp also has value to other federal agencies, researchers, healthcare providers and consumers. Through collaboration and partnerships, the app can be used in diverse settings.

Results: The current design of the app will enable the user to scan a supplement (e.g., protein powder, pre-work-out, weight loss) and see if it: 1) contains an ingredient on the Prohibited List, or the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List; 2) contains any associated Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warnings; 3) is considered high-risk (e.g., FDA Tainted Products Lists); and 4) is third-party certified. If the scanner fails to return information about a DS product, the user will have access to other tools and resources in the app. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements Label Database API will be used for product labels, brands, and ingredient information.

OPSS is collaborating with researchers to garner input from non-military stakeholders. In interviews and focus groups, healthcare providers and patients expressed support for app development to improve DS tracking and safety. Desired design features include attention to privacy, accessibility, quality, integration with the electronic health record, and a supplement-drug interaction checker.

Conclusions: OPSSupp will allow a user to quickly and easily determine whether ingredients listed in a product might be risky. This is one step in forging a way forward to ensure safe DS use. Future iterations can address key features desired by diverse stakeholders.

Funding Sources: Consortium for Health and Military Performance and Operation Supplement Safety, University of North Carolina, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health and National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences