RESUMO
There is an increasing trend towards consumption of complementary and alternative herbal products in many parts of the world. A cross-sectional sample of 115 community pharmacists in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia was visited and information on knowledge, attitudes and practices towards herbal remedies was collected using a structured questionnaire. All pharmacists acknowledged dispensing herbal products through their pharmacies. Ginseng was the most widely used product [47%], followed by ginkgo [23%], valerian [17%] and St John's wort [3.5%]. In general, pharmacists had poor awareness about potential herb-drug interactions. While 56% of participating pharmacists expressed concerns about the safety of herbal remedies, 30% considered them to be harmless. Community pharmacists need to be better informed about herbal products
Assuntos
Farmacêuticos , Extratos Vegetais , Estudos Transversais , Plantas Medicinais , Inquéritos e Questionários , Conhecimentos, Atitudes e Prática em SaúdeAssuntos
Medicina Herbária , Plantas Medicinais , Controle de Qualidade , Indústria Farmacêutica , GuiaRESUMO
A study in Kerman, Islamic Republic of Iran in 2002 compared the effectiveness of fennel and mefenamic acid on pain relief in primary dysmenorrhoea. Two groups of high-school girls [mean age 13 years] suffering dysmenorrhoea were randomized to receive fennel extract [n = 55] or mefenamic acid [n = 55] for 2 months. In the fennel group, 80% of girls and in the mefenamic acid group, 73% of girls showed complete pain relief or pain decrease, while 80% in the fennel group and 62% in the mefenamic acid group no longer needed to rest. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups in the level of pain relief
Assuntos
Ácido Mefenâmico , Fitoterapia , Óleos de Plantas , Plantas Medicinais , Resultado do Tratamento , DismenorreiaRESUMO
Use of herbal medicines has increased steadily in countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region. In some countries, herbal medicines are produced locally and a large population depends on them for primary health care. In other countries, the majority of herbal products are imported. A major problem in the evaluation of imported herbal products is that they often contain more than 10 plants, and it is very difficult to conduct testing and quality control. Another problem is that classification categories for herbal products vary from country to country. Governments need to establish national regulations on the control of imported herbal medicines through sharing experiences and harmonizing standards on safety and quality control across national boundaries. These guidelines were developed through a consultation process with national drug authorities in the Region and will assist countries to establish appropriate regulations
