Why do people use herbal drugs? Patient autonomy/control Ease of use Easy availability Confidentiality Possibility of fewer side effects (compared to prescription meds) Belief that herbal drugs are “safer” and “more natural”
Dangers of Herbal Drugs Lack of well-controlled testing to show Efficacy Safety Drug-drug interactions Often a large number of pharmacological active compounds Which ones are causing effects? Do the compounds interact? (would they be effective without the other compounds?) Concentrations of active compounds vary (plant variety, growing conditions, havesting/processing processes)
St. John’s wort Active Ingredients: Hypericin Hyperforin …and at least 8 others
Ginko
Kava
Valerian