Pharmacy and herbal medicine in the US

Herbal medicine is increasing in popularity in the United States. The market continues to grow, with a presence being established for commercially-prepared herbal products in community pharmacies throughout the nation. This survey was conducted to describe that presence in pharmacies and to describe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social science & medicine (1982) 1999-07, Vol.49 (2), p.279-289
Main Authors: Bouldin, Alicia S, Smith, Mickey C, Garner, Dewey D, Szeinbach, Sheryl L, Frate, Dennis A, Croom, Edward M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Alternative Medicine
Attitude of Health Personnel
Biological and medical sciences
Community
Community pharmacy
Drugs
Female
Folk medicine
General pharmacology
Health participants
Health Services Research
Herbal medicine
Herbal medicine Community pharmacy United States
Herbalism
Holistic Medicine
Humans
Information
Male
Medical sciences
Medications
Medicine
Middle Aged
Miscellaneous
Perceptions
Pharmaceutical industry
Pharmaceuticals
Pharmacies
Pharmacists
Pharmacology. Drug treatments
Pharmacy
Phytotherapy
Plants (Botanical)
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Quality standards
Surveys
United States
United States of America
USA
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Summary:Herbal medicine is increasing in popularity in the United States. The market continues to grow, with a presence being established for commercially-prepared herbal products in community pharmacies throughout the nation. This survey was conducted to describe that presence in pharmacies and to describe pharmacists' perceptions of this product class. A response rate of 26.3% ( n=512) was achieved for a five-page mail survey sent to a geographically stratified random sample of community pharmacies in the United States. Approximately 73% of pharmacists responding indicated that their pharmacy carried commercially-prepared herbal products. Attitudinal items were included to measure pharmacists' perceptions toward these products, as those perceptions have the potential to influence attitudes and subsequently behavior (such as clinical involvement with patients wishing to integrate herbal products into an existing regimen). Pharmacists, on average, did not believe that herbal products are well standardized, or that the products are well accepted by the Food and Drug Administration or the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Much potential exists for pharmacists to fill a role as information provider to patients who self-medicate with herbal medicines; must their perceptions of the product class be changed first?
ISSN:0277-9536
1873-5347
DOI:10.1016/S0277-9536(99)00118-5