Case scenario

Arteen comes into your pharmacy requesting fish oil for his rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pain. Arteen takes methotrexate 10 mg once weekly and folic acid 5 mg every other day of the week; his RA is usually well controlled. Arteen has been experiencing mild residual joint pain and has been taking regular, therapeutic doses of ibuprofen but finds the ibuprofen occasionally upsets his stomach.

Learning objectives

After successful completion of this CPD activity, pharmacists should be able to:

  • Discuss the available evidence for the use of omega-3 fatty acids
  • Discuss the implications of omega-3 fatty acid uses to practice
  • Explain how pharmacists can advise patients on the use of omega-3 fatty acids.

Competency standards (2016) addressed: 1.1, 1.3, 1.5, 2.3, 3.2, 3.5

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Introduction

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids that are needed for biological processes in the body.1 They are one of two major classes of polyunsaturated fatty acids and are composed of carbon chains with a methyl group on one end and a carboxyl group at the other.2 The ‘3’ component of omega-3 fatty acids is derived from the presence of a double bond at the third carbon from the methyl end of the chain.2 These fatty acids are unable to be synthesised in the body, and as such, need to be ingested.1

While there are several different omega-3 fatty acids, research has focused on alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).2

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