Introduction. The market of dietary supplements used in various types of diseases and disorders is an increasingly significant area of income obtained by pharmaceutical companies and other entities involved in the process of food production. Moreover there is a lot of different types of dietary supplements on the market, which have always informed consumers about the above-average effectiveness and high level of safety associated with their use. Their high popularity is additionally associated with public advertising, which directly affects the sale of specific brands. Aim of the study. The aim of the study was to determine the level of knowledge of patients using dietary supplements in terms of their effectiveness as well as the safety profile from a pharmacist's perspective. An additional goal was also to determine which features of dietary supplements determine their market success and how it translates into their availability to patients. Material and methods. An anonymous research survey was used in the study. The survey was conducted in Poznan and concerned mainly pharmacy as well as pharmaceutical companies. Results. Researches confirmed that doctors often recommend diet suppliers as a component that helps in healing affective disease. It also showed that customers often ask of those kind of preparation beacuse of what they have been told on advertisements, or by considering visually look of package, as well as taking under consideration opinions of friends and family. As researches results showed, the highest percentage of purchasing those medicines is during winter and autumn. It also revealed that according to pharmacologists, patients are not aware on real registration requirements of those kind of preparations. Conclusions. Pharmaceutical care in the field of proper use of dietary supplements determines both to the increase of treatment effectiveness as well as eliminate the potential adverse effects and interactions associated with the use of various types of supplements.

Key words: dietary supplements, depression, mood disorders.