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The goal of this study was two-fold. The first one was to conduct a literature review of five dietary supplements (L-arginine, coenzyme Q10, garlic, hawthorn, and pycnogenol) on their blood pressure lowering effects. The second goal was to survey first-year pharmacy students at Howard University College of Pharmacy on their knowledge of the various aspects of these DSs. The literature review showed that all the 5 DSs included in this study have beneficial effects in reducing high blood pressure, although their effects are mostly mild to moderate. However, their effects are more pronounced in patients with hypertension and have no or limited effects in normotensive patients. Despite these promising benefits, the survey from the students showed a lower-than-expected knowledge score. The average knowledge level was 57.5 % on all the questions related to the five selected dietary supplements. The knowledge levels ranged from 52.9% for L-arginine to 66.2% for garlic. When the knowledge scores were paired and further analyzed, no statistical differences were noted among the levels for each dietary supplement. Overall, the survey showed that there is a lack of adequate knowledge among the participants on the supplements included in this study. Thus, an additional effort must be made to incorporate key supplement topics in various therapeutics courses throughout the pharmacy education.

This survey was conducted at Howard University (HU) College of Pharmacy as part of a Drug Information course, in which First-Year Pharmacy students learn how to perform literature search on a pharmacy topic and run a survey. A total of 42 student respondents participated in the survey. Nearly 64% (n=27) wrongly thought that cimetidine reduces the risk of colon cancer, while 57.1% (n=24) gave a wrong response that, even though cimetidine is FDA-approved for other indications, it can be taken for the prevention of colorectal cancer. Twenty-seven (64.3%) correctly believed that cimetidine is used for other health problems than colorectal cancer. The majority gave the correct response (n=25; 59.5%) that prescription medications are more useful than dietary supplements for the prevention of colorectal cancer. The highest number of correct responses (n=28; 66.7%) was obtained for the question of cimetidine passing through breast milk. The opinions of survey respondents were evenly divided in recommending cimetidine for the prevention of colorectal cancer (50%, n=21), and knowing someone or oneself taken for other than colorectal cancer (50%, n=21). Opinions varied unevenly for the other three opinion-based questions.

A survey was conducted among 42 Howard University first year professional pharmacy students regarding their knowledge and opinions about the use of metformin in colorectal patients. Twenty-five (59.5%) respondents agreed that metformin reduces the risk of colorectal cancer in type 2 diabetes patients, and the majority (n=22, 52.4%) disagreed with the statement that metformin is a drug recommended for colorectal cancer. Twenty-five (59.5%) replied that colorectal cancer is a common illness regardless of age range. Twenty-four (57.1%) survey participants responded in favor of patients taking metformin to lower the risk of colon cancer. On the other hand, the majority (n=25, 59.5%) agreed that colorectal patients with diabetes mellitus taking metformin have the same outcome as those who do not have diabetes. In response to the opinion part of the questionnaire, the majority (n=23, 54.7%) admitted to feeling comfortable about recommending metformin to increase the chance of survival of colorectal patients, while only 18 (42.8%) were confident in explaining the benefits of metformin in preventing colorectal cancer. Twenty-three (54.7%) of respondents prefer natural and holistic methods, and 16 (28.1%) knew someone with type 2 diabetes who was taking metformin for the prevention of colorectal cancer. Most respondents (n=29, 69%) believe prescription medications should be used to prevent colorectal cancer rather than metformin which has inadequate supporting evidence. A sub-analysis appears to indicate that female participants, those with previous pharmacy-related jobs, and those with fewer years of work experience disagree with most of the opinion questions compared to their counterparts. They also had a wider range of opinions among themselves compared to their counterparts.

A survey was conducted among first-year pharmacy students at Howard University College of Pharmacy to measure their level of knowledge and gauge their opinion regarding the off-label uses of two non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), indomethacin and celecoxib. The average level of knowledge on indomethacin and celecoxib was 36.2% and 31.2%, respectively. Among the five knowledge-based questions on each of these drugs, the highest correct response rate was obtained on indomethacin dosing at 72.9%, and 64.7% on the class of drugs celecoxib belongs to. In the responses to questions on indomethacin, the highest correct response of 72.9% was significantly higher (pp=0.3257). In the same manner, the correct response rate of 64.7% for the class of drugs that celecoxib belongs to was significantly higher than the response rates for the other questions (pp=0.0883). The opinions of the students varied, with a majority (55.9%) agreeing that serious diseases should be treated with non-approved medications. In the case of indomethacin, 35.5% of the respondents believed that because of toxicity issues, it should not be used outside the approved indications, while 27.8% believed that the safety has been established and can be used outside the approved use. Most respondents (55.9%) on celecoxib thought colorectal cancer is a serious disease and can be treated with non-approved drugs.

The objective of the survey was to evaluate the knowledge and opinion of Howard University College of Pharmacy first-year professional pharmacy students regarding the use of the nutritional supplement flaxseed. The survey questionnaire comprising 5 knowledge-based and 5 opinion-based items was administered to 42 first year pharmacy students. Most of the respondents had adequate knowledge about flaxseed ranging from 52.4 to 90.5%. There was no statistical difference when responses were analyzed based on the gender, age and prior work experience categories of the survey participants. More than half of the respondents had good levels of knowledge and opinion about flaxseed, with the highest being 90.5% to a specific knowledge question on the use of flaxseed for hyperlipidemia, heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. The respondents were close to being evenly divided on whether flaxseed can increase appetite and feeling comfortable about recommending it for personal use to lower cholesterol before taking prescription medications (42.8 to 57.2 and 47.6 to 52.4%, respectively).