Herbal medicines are popular with patients. A recent survey revealed that one third of people in the UK had used herbal medicines and one in four had used one in the last two years. Herbal medicines, which can be bought without a prescription, include St John’s Wort, for depression, and feverfew, for migraine headache. Problems may arise when herbal medicines interact with conventional prescription medications. These interactions may reduce the efficacy of either medicine or may produce unwanted, and even dangerous, side effects. Therefore, it’s important for doctors to know about, and understand, herbal medicines. Unfortunately, a recent survey of doctors and pharmacists, reveals a huge knowledge gap when it comes to herbal medicines.
