Herbal products are often contaminated, study finds

Thanks for your interesting article. We know that inconsistency in the definition of complementary and alternative medicine and varying research designs make estimation of usage prevalence difficult; also evidence suggests that a high proportion of people use these therapies concurrently with conventional healthcare services. For that reason healthcare professionals need to be aware of this issue and may need to incorporate complementary and alternative medicine information into patient assessment and intervention(1-8)

There is a lot of public and professional concern about the irrational use of herbal medicine. In developing countries easy availability of a wide range of herbal medicines results in increased proportions of herbal medicine used as self-medication compared to prescribed drugs, Although, herbal medicines are meant for self-medication, their improper use due to lack of knowledge of their side effects and interactions could have serious implications, especially in extremes of ages like children and elderly people and special physiological conditions like pregnancy and lactation. There is always a risk of interaction between active ingredients of hidden preparations of herbal medicines and prescription medicines, as well as increased risk of worsening of existing disease pathology(9). Although substantial misconceptions about herbal products exist among people in the community, most individuals in the population are interested in receiving additional information about these products. So excellent opportunities exist for expanded patient education and improved patient care(10).

Finally it is important for all practising physicians to listen carefully to their patients' concerns about their daily suffering, and to improve communication and consultation skills to educate and convince them about an agreed management plan .

Thanks again for your interesting article.

Yousef Abdullah Al Turki
Associate Professor and Family Medicine Consultant
King Saud University
College of Medicine, Department of family and community medicine, yalturki@ksu.edu.sa

Conflict of Interest: None

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