BMJ 1994;308:1640 (18 June)

Letters

Phytotherapeutic research

EDITOR, - The BMJ and other leading journals have recently drawn attention to the need for more clinical research into phytomedicines.1,2 In the United Kingdom only $3.3 per head is spent on herbal remedies, but this figure amounts to $29 in Germany.3 There, it might be hoped, phytotherapeutic research is pursued more actively - particularly by the manufacturers, who each year collectively have a turnover of some $300m on prescribed botanical monopreparations alone.3

A standard letter (on departmental letterhead) was written (in German) to all 189 firms that we identified as marketing herbal drugs in Germany. It asked (among other questions) for reprints of articles reporting controlled clinical trials on the company's product(s). Only 19 replies had reached us six weeks later. Four of these included at least one reprint. Twelve respondents regretted not knowing of clinical trials on their drug(s). In three cases we had written to a wrong . . . [Full text of this article]


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Relevant Article

Towards the safer use of traditional remedies
D J Atherton
BMJ 1994 308: 673-674. [Extract] [Full Text]

This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Ernst, E. (2002). The Risk-Benefit Profile of Commonly Used Herbal Therapies: Ginkgo, St. John's Wort, Ginseng, Echinacea, Saw Palmetto, and Kava. ANN INTERN MED 136: 42-53 [Abstract] [Full text]  
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