USC Pharmacy has opened a new clinic to provide students, staff and faculty with accurate information about how to safely use supplements.
The clinic is offering no-cost, 20-minute consultations with a clinical pharmacist every Tuesday from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m., according to the appointment website. The USC community can ask questions about performance supplements, vitamins and essential nutrients.
The director of USC Sports Pharmacy program, Kari Franson, said “there’s influencers on social media who really stand to benefit from trying to sell a product and they’re rewarded for that.”
Her team aims to help those “who span all age generations, levels of exercise and sport.” Offering assistance to help people make good decisions is their main motive.
According to Fransom, over 75% of the adult population uses some form of supplement and the industry is expected to reach $70 billion by 2030.
U.S. dietary supplements can help improve or maintain overall health, but they are not meant to replace certain foods and vegetables that are essential for a healthy diet, according to the FDA.
The National Library of Medicine states that 66% of college students use dietary supplements once a week, while 42% percent of students use multivitamins at least once a week.
However, the overuse of supplements could do more harm than good. The FDA reports that while some benefits of supplements are well-established, others require further study.
Fransom said she started the program with the hope of improving public trust in healthcare institutions and increasing accessibility.
“Hope sells really well,” Fransom said, and because people see some medication that works for others, that doesn’t mean everyone should use the same supplement. “Our needs are different.”
Fransom said she hopes that students can use these consultations as opportunities to ask questions about “a current supplement they’re using, whether it is benefiting them as they would hope, or perhaps they’re having side effects from a supplement they’re using.”
“So we get that information up front, so that we’re best prepared to have that conversation with the patient when they come into the clinic and really help them maximize their supplement use,” Fransom said.
The National Institute of Health reports that taking too much Vitamin A can cause headaches and liver damage, reduce bone strength and cause birth defects. Excess iron can cause nausea and vomiting, and can damage the liver and other organs.
“I just take protein powder,” said sophomore human biology major Thomas Strauss. “I used to take creatine in high school, but I just stopped because I don’t really buy it that often, but that’s really it.”
Strauss works at the front desk of the Lyon Recreation Center, located right across from the pharmacy building.
“I usually work on Tuesdays, so I could just pop over next Tuesday and see what they have to say, and see where my supplement health is at,” Strauss said.
Derek Wang, a sophomore studying business administration, said that though he “only drinks the kirkland branded protein shakes after [he] works out,” he’s interested in checking out the supplement clinic after a workout.
In an article published by the American Medical Association, doctors said that it’s important to tailor any vitamins one might take to their own body and should talk to their doctor before taking any supplements or vitamins.
“We take a very holistic approach on supplement use,” Franson said. From her 30 years of pharmaceutical training, she emphasizes that everyone’s needs are individualized.
USC’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program has a service clinic in El Segundo. Franson said she hopes to develop a future partnership to expand the supplement clinic services.
“We’ve been kind of piloting and doing different things here this Tuesday,” Franson said, but the clinic aims to officially launch the new initiative on October 28.
The pharmacy is located next to Webb Tower and the Lyon Recreation Center. Students can schedule an appointment to speak with a clinical pharmacist here.