Understanding botanical-drug interactions

Understanding botanical-drug interactions With a specific focus on pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic mechanisms, Dr Erin C Berthold discusses the interactions between botanical and herbal supplements and conventional pharmaceuticals, highlighting the urgent need to examine these interactions for public health and patient safety. When any substance – be it food, a therapeutic drug, an over-the-counter medication, or a botanical supplement – is ingested, it enters a dynamic physiological system. The concurrent ingestion of multiple products creates an opportunity for complex interactions to occur. Given the significant global rise in the self-administration of botanical and herbal supplements alongside conventional pharmaceuticals, there is an urgent and critical need to thoroughly examine and document the precise effects these natural compounds may have on co-administered medications. This undertaking is not merely academic; it is a fundamental concern for public health and patient safety that demands regulatory and clinical attention. Interactions are broadly categorized into two major areas that govern the ultimate impact and efficacy of a drug: pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions.