Herbal Product Use and Drug-Herbal Product Interactions in Patients with Chronic Diseases

Herbal products are frequently used to prevent and treat diseases in the community. Although they are considered safe because they are natural, the simultaneous use of herbal products with medications may cause drug-related problems and negatively affect therapeutic outcomes. Our study aimed to determine the herbal product use rates of patients with chronic diseases and the interactions of the herbal products used with drugs. This study is a cross-sectional survey conducted in a community pharmacy. The surveys included questions about patients’ demographics, existing diseases, use of medicines, and herbal products. Drug-herbal product interactions were examined through drug databases, monographs and printed books. 93 of 148 patients included in the study were using herbal products. Most of the patients in the study were diagnosed with hypertension and diabetes. The use of herbal products was found to be positively correlated with undergraduate educational status, asthma, COPD, diabetes, and anxiety (p