Fish oil dietary supplements: a clinician’s point of view

There are two main types of omega-3 products: Fish oil dietary supplements (FODS) and prescription Omega 3 products. There are few non-fish oil omega 3 supplements. Currently available omega- 3 (OM-3) fatty acid products in Sri Lanka are mostly nonprescription fish oil dietary supplements (FODS). The ‘prescription OM-3 drugs’ are not registered in Sri Lanka at present. Prescription OM-3 products are indicated in adults with severe hypertriglyceridemia. The National Medicines Drug Regulatory Authority (NMRA) considers FODS as borderline products. The FODS have issues such as variable content of OM-3, inaccurate labelling, impurities and oxidized fatty acids and poor product quality. Given these issues, FODS should not be substituted for prescription OM-3 products. This review describes the differences between FODS and prescription OM-3 products and highlights some clinically relevant points for a practicing physician regarding FODS in Sri Lanka.