SAFETYCHECKER AUTHORS AND CONTRIBUTORS

The Safetychecker writing team is composed of experts from the fields of medicine, pharmacy, naturopathy, and public health. This team uses its expertise to write about ways in which common drugs (prescription and over-the-counter) interact with herbs, vitamins, and foods. These interactions include potential nutrient depletions, interference with drug actions, reduction of drug side effects, and interference with drug absorption (bioavailability) when taking herbs, nutritional supplements, or food with certain medications. Crucial to the integrity, currency, and balance of Healthnotes’ information is the regular review of over 500 scientific and medical journals.

Alan R. Gaby, MD, Senior Medical Editor
Dr. Gaby, an expert in nutritional therapies, is the contributing medical editor of the Townsend Letter for Doctors and past-president of the American Holistic Medical Association. He served as a member of the Ad-Hoc Advisory Panel of the National Institutes of Health Office of Alternative Medicine. He is the author of Preventing and Reversing Osteoporosis (Prima, 1994) and B6: The Natural Healer (Keats, 1987). He is co-author of The Patient’s Book of Natural Healing (Prima, 1999), The Natural Pharmacy (Prima, 1999), and the A–Z Guide to Drug-Herb-Vitamin Interactions (Prima, 1999). Dr. Gaby has conducted nutritional seminars for physicians and has collected over 30,000 scientific papers related to the field of nutritional and natural medicine. He is currently the Endowed Professor of Nutrition at Bastyr University, Kenmore, Washington, and is a regular contributor to Healthnotes, Healthnotes Newswire, and Healthnotes Quick!Reference.

Rick Chester, RPh, ND, DiplAc, Section Editor of Safetychecker and Contributor
Dr. Chester earned his pharmacy degree from Oregon State University and his doctorate in naturopathic medicine from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine; he operated an eclectic group practice in Arizona for seven years. Dr. Chester served as president of the Arizona Naturopathic Medical Association and has taught pharmacology, geriatrics, pulmonology, and practice management. He received his acupuncture certification through the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and completed a master’s in acupuncture and Oriental medicine at the International Institute of Chinese Medicine in Albuquerque.

Jeremy Appleton, ND, Contributor
Dr. Appleton is a licensed naturopathic physician, writer, and educator in the field of evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine. He received his bachelor’s degree from Reed College and his doctorate in naturopathic medicine from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine (NCNM). Dr. Appleton completed a residency at Bastyr University of Natural Health Sciences, where he was also on faculty as an adjunct professor of orthopedics and clinical medicine. He has had private practices in Washington, Vermont, and Oregon, and has also worked in the nutritional supplement industry as a director of scientific and regulatory affairs. Dr. Appleton is currently Chair of the Nutrition department at NCNM. He has been a regular contributor to several Healthnotes publications, including Healthnotes Newswire, Healthnotes, Clinical Essentials, and Healthnotes Quick!Reference.

Forrest Batz, PharmD, Contributor
Dr. Batz is a natural products information consultant. He received a doctor of pharmacy degree from the University of California, San Francisco, and completed a clinical pharmacy residency at the Tucson VA Medical Center. He is an assistant editor of the Pharmacist’s Letter and Prescriber’s Letter Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database and co-author of the A–Z Guide to Drug-Herb-Vitamin Interactions (Prima, 1999). Dr. Batz is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the School of Pharmacy, University of California, San Francisco.

George Constantine, RPh, PhD, Contributor
Dr. Constantine, a Professor Emeritus at the College of Pharmacy, Oregon State University, has extensive knowledge of natural products and herbal medicine. Dr. Constantine teaches continuing education programs to pharmacists, physicians, nurses, and allied healthcare professionals throughout the United States and has lectured at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine and Western States Chiropractic College. A past-president of the American Society of Pharmacognosy, Dr. Constantine has authored 52 professional and scientific articles and currently is a reviewer for the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia. He is author of Tyler’s Tips—the Shopper’s Guide for Herbal Remedies (Haworth, 2000). Dr. Constantine is also the chair of the Naturopathic Formulary Council for the Board of Naturopathic Board of Examiners and co-founder of the Benton Hospice in Corvallis, Oregon.

For more information, see:

• About Healthnotes, Inc.
• Healthnotes Authors and Contributors
• Foodnotes Authors and Contributors
• Healthnotes Medical Advisory Board