Drug-herbal interactions: what you need to know
Healthcare providers are especially aware today of increasing drug-drug interactions. Drug-herb interactions are also receiving more attention as a result. Practitioners try to guide patients on how to prevent interactions and diminish associated healthcare costs.
Researchers explored a 16 years worth of reports (2001–2017) publishing their work in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. The primary emphasis was drug-herb adverse events.
They found 49 case reports and 2 observational studies with 15 cases of documented events. Even though it is a relatively small number of cases in comparison to the conventional medications, researchers raise a question of under reporting of these events.
Patients with heart disease, cancer, kidney transplantation who used herbal medication in addition to prescriptions were more likely to have an interaction.
Several herbal supplements (including Ginkgo biloba, Ginseng, St. John’s Wort, Green tea, Chamomile and Aloe vera) were the identified as causing adverse effects/interactions when combined with certain prescription medications.
For more information on this research, visit The British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
Questions: How knowledgeable and objective are you about interactions related to conventional medications and herbal and dietary supplements? What is the best way to encourage patients to report interactions? Have you or someone you know ever experienced or reported an interaction?
