Concurrent use of herbal supplements and prescription drugs in northeastern Puerto Rico

Objectives To identify which herbal supplements are used, to identify the motivations for their use and to determine the potential for interactions when herbal supplements are used concurrently with prescribed medications. Method A descriptive study was conducted using patient interviews and surveys to a sample of 150 patients, residents of the northeastern area of Puerto Rico. Results Over half of the patients (n = 80) mostly were women 51-60 years old had used herbals supplements during the 6 months prior to the study. Patients reported that they used herbals to help improve their health, because they liked using such supplements, and because they are cheaper than prescription medications. The potential for at least one drug-herbal interaction was found in 71% (n = 57) of the herbal supplement users in our sample group. The most frequently identified interactions involved various prescription drugs and green tea, cinnamon and aloe vera. Variable comparison did not show any statistical relationship due to sample size. Conclusion Concurrent use of herbal supplements and prescription drugs is a common practice which can expose patients to risk, unsafe drug-herbal use and interfere with drug-use optimization. Although this study was not intended to identify actual adverse events caused by herbal-drug interactions, the risk that such potential interactions might cause significant clinical consequences cannot be ignored. To minimize these potentially harmful interactions, healthcare providers must be aware that herbal supplement use is common among patients and perform routine evaluations of patient herbal supplement use.