Kolby Peixoto, MLIS Candidate
Practicum Student
Brown University Library

NatMed Pro, formerly Natural Medicines, provides evidence-based information on dietary supplements, natural medicines, and alternative therapies. It is published by TRC Healthcare, which creates healthcare education materials primarily for drug therapy. TRC Healthcare has been accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education since 2010.

This resource has comprehensive descriptions of foods, herbs, supplements, diets, exercises, therapies, and commercial products. The primary audience for this resource is pharmacists and pharmacy students, but it is also relevant for healthcare providers or any institution providing training in the health sciences. NatMed Pro proposes to present the most up-to-date research on natural medicines and their risks and benefits for individuals based on their conditions.

Content

The information is presented within seven databases: Food, Herbs, and Supplements; Health and Wellness (types of treatment/therapy); Sports Medicine; Comparative Effectiveness; Manufacturers; Commercial Products; and Fixed Herbal Combinations. The first three are presented as a glossary and require users to browse through a comprehensive alphabetical list of all items. It is important to note that the sports medicine database does not appear to include any new information, just a filtered version of food, herbs, supplements, and treatments that are relevant to sports medicine. The highlight of the databases is Comparative Effectiveness. This interface allows users to select from a list of conditions or diagnoses and presents substances and therapies sorted by effectiveness for treating associated symptoms.

In addition to the databases, there are eight tools available to users: Interaction Checker; Nutrient Depletion Calculator; Effectiveness Checker; Adverse Effects Checker; Pregnancy and Lactation Checker; Charts; FDA Information on Select Dietary Supplements, Ingredients, and Other Substances; and COVID-19 Advisory. The tools are what set NatMed Pro apart from other complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) resources. The Interaction Checker, Nutrient Depletion Calculator, and Pregnancy and Lactation Checker present a list of foods, herbs, supplements, products, drugs, and treatments that users can select to see in-depth information in these areas. The Effectiveness Checker and Adverse Effects Checker instead provide a searchable list of diagnoses and presents therapies that are most effective and most dangerous. The COVID-19 Advisory tool is a list of products or ingredients that have received warnings by incorrectly claiming to prevent or treat COVID-19, a valuable resource in fighting misinformation.

Review Process

The team of editors, writers, and contributors is publicly available under the "About Us" tab. There are a significant number of "content specialists" whose credentials are not listed, but the researchers and writers are overwhelmingly MDs and PharmDs. There are also health sciences librarians who serve on the Editorial Board. According to their editorial principles and processes, the staff has developed a systematic approach to identify any new research on natural medicines (NatMed Pro, 2024a). Relevant studies are evaluated based on relevance, validity, and consistency, and if selected, any new information is integrated into the existing databases to provide the most up-to-date findings.

NatMed Pro's distinguishing feature is its Natural Medicines Brand rating system (NMBER). NMBER is a 1 to 10 scale (10 being the highest) that rates each natural medicine and supplement product. The score is based on safety, effectiveness, and product quality. According to their overview, the NatMed Pro team reviewed over 90,000 clinical trials and studies, including evaluating their reliability and validity, to determine a safety and effectiveness rating for each natural ingredient on their platform (NatMed Pro, 2024b). These ratings are re-evaluated as new research is published concerning the ingredient, and new information is added each day. Thus, the products with the highest NMBER score have been proven in clinical studies to be safe and effective. The editors do accept suggestions for higher or lower scores.

Functionality

While the content offered by NatMed Pro does offer a new perspective on medical research, the interface could be considered rudimentary. The advanced search does not allow for Boolean operators or truncated phrasing; it only allows users to select or deselect certain categories for the results. Also, within the databases, users must manually scroll through an alphabetical listing of all entries, rather than search for the desired item or filter. The charts are an interesting feature, although they are not uniform in their content or presentation. Some, such as "water-soluble vitamins," simply provide a hyperlinked list of the items that fall under that category, while a chart such as "caffeine content of energy drinks and shots," is a table of caffeinated commercial products and their caffeine content per container or serving size. Finally, the missing feature that would be most useful is the ability to save entries to a list within an account. Users must manually find an item each time they want to refer to it, rather than having a folder of their most visited terms.

One of the most valuable functions is the ability to print out a simplified PDF of an item's basic effectiveness and safety information. This feature is beneficial for providers as it provides easy to understand patient education information. The Interaction, Adverse Effects, Nutrient Depletion, and Pregnancy & Lactation Checkers are valuable for the same reason, as providers can use this for reference if a patient has a query about a specific nutrient or supplement.

Business Model

NatMed Pro is accessed through a browser - no additional software is needed. Individuals can buy a 1- ($182/yr), 2- ($163.80/yr), or 3- ($154.70/yr) year subscription. Pricing plans for groups are decided on an individual basis, and the organization can request a quote at the following link: https://trchealthcare.com/product/natmed-pro/. The database can be integrated with an institution's EZProxy and allows for personal log-ins. Any institution that treats patients or educates future medical professionals would benefit from this product.

Breakthrough

Natural and alternative medicines are not a new concept, but are becoming increasingly prevalent in modern medicine. The rise of social media means that misinformation can easily spread, and many take advantage of that. Whether the intent is to sell a product or to share their experience with a supplement, posts encouraging others to abandon their current treatment and embrace a "natural" solution can cause immense harm. By being knowledgeable of these products and supplements, medical professionals can be better prepared to address these items with patients. Moreover, it is important to recognize that, for some, supplements and other natural medicine can be as beneficial, if not more, than a prescription. Medical care is truly a personal issue, and by arming future practitioners with as many resources as possible, we increase the chances of more productive and holistic care.

References

NatMed Pro. (2024a). Editorial Principles and Process. Therapeutic Research Center. https://naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com/about-us/editorial-principles-and-process.aspx

NatMed Pro. (2024b). How the NMBER is determined- Overview. Therapeutic Research Center. https://naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com/nmber.aspx