You should not be misguided by the label "supplementary food" as these are not mere food items, warn Turkish pharmacists, but rather they are a different kind of medicinal supplement and they can cause various inconveniences if they are purchased outside of a pharmacy.
According to the written statement made by the All Pharmacist Employers' Union (TEIS), it was noted that these products were sold unconsciously and uncontrollably in markets, gas stations and on the internet.
"These are products that have been given the form of drugs and contain pharmaceutical raw materials. It is dangerous and wrong for public health to say to citizens, 'These are not drugs, you can easily buy them from wherever you want and use them however you want,'" Pharmacist Nurten Saydan, chairperson of TEIS said.
Pointing out that the unconscious use of products sold under the name of "supplementary food" poses a great risk, Saydan stated that these products can also cause diseases. Saydan noted that the demand for products sold over the internet is higher because they are cheap. She warned about the contents of these supplements.
"As TEIS, we recommend our citizens to buy such products from our pharmacies. They should not buy and use these alleged 'non-medicine' products without consulting our pharmacies, that is, we, the pharmacists. They should not be fooled by the price or attractive offers on the internet because the World Health Organization (WHO) confirms that the vast majority of products sold on the internet are counterfeit."
Saydan emphasized that citizens should not rely on the phrases written on the products. "Don't be fooled by the 'not a drug' label put on supplementary food boxes, supplements such as vitamins and minerals under the name of 'food supplements' are also drugs."
