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Wednesday 14 December 2016

Herbal Medicines: Challenges in the Modern World. Part 5. Status and current directions of complementary and alternative herbal medicine worldwide.

2016 Dec 7. [Epub ahead of print]


Author information

  • 1a Division of Clinical Pharmacology, the Department of Pediatrics , University of Utah School of Medicine , Salt Lake City , Utah , USA.
  • 2b - Division of Microbiology and Immunology, the Department of Pathology , University of Utah School of Medicine , Salt Lake City , Utah , USA.
  • 3c New Zealand School of Pharmacy , University of Otago , New Zealand.
  • 4d Pentskiff Inc ., Salt Lake City , Utah , USA.
  • 5e - Division of Toxicology, Center of Medicine , All-Russian Research Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (VILAR) , Moscow , Russia.
  • 6f - Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology , University of Utah , Salt Lake City , UT , USA.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

Herbal medicine (HM) use is growing worldwide. Single herb preparations, ethnic and modern HM formulations are widely used as adjunct therapies or to improve consumer wellbeing. Areas covered: This final part in the publication series summarizes common tendencies in HM use as adjunct or alternative medicine, education of healthcare professionals and consumers, current and proposed guidelines regulating of production. We discuss potential HM-HM and HM-drug interactions that could lead to severe adverse events in situations where HMs are taken without proper medical professional oversight. Expert commentary: A number of serious problems have arisen with the steady global increase in HM use. HM interaction with conventional drugs (CD) may result in inadequate dosing of CD or adverse reactions; HM-HM interaction within herbal supplements could lead to toxicity of formulations. Inadequate education of clinicians and patients regarding medicinal properties of HMs must be addressed regionally and globally to ensure consumer safety.

KEYWORDS:

adjunct medicine; alternative antimicrobial herbal medicine; dietary supplements; herbal medicines; herbal-herbal and herbal-drug interaction