Experts agree on what makes herbal medicines sold responsibly in pharmacies
Nakaphan T, Teerachaisakul M, Chaotham C, Pongpirul K
Medicinal Plants
The herbal remedies lining pharmacy shelves, from turmeric capsules to andrographis extract, only work safely when the person behind the counter actually knows what's in them and how they interact with other drugs.
Thirty experts in Thailand went through three rounds of surveys to agree on what really matters when it comes to herbal medicines in pharmacies: things like clear product labels, whether the product is on an official approved list, and whether the pharmacist actually understands how the herb works and whether it's backed by real evidence. They landed on 25 agreed-upon factors out of 34 considered, covering the products themselves, the information printed on them, pharmacists' responsibilities, and how the pharmacy itself operates.
Key Findings
25 of 34 proposed factors reached expert consensus across four domains: herbal products, product information, professional responsibilities, and pharmacy operations.
Inclusion on Thailand's National List of Essential Herbal Drugs scored the highest possible consensus (QL = 1.00).
All nine product-information factors and key professional factors (product recommendation skill, knowledge of HMP categories, evidence-based efficacy/safety knowledge) reached consensus.
chevron_right Technical Summary
A panel of 30 Thai health experts spent three rounds reaching agreement on what actually determines whether herbal medicines are stocked and used well in pharmacies, from product labeling to pharmacist training. Their consensus gives policymakers a concrete checklist for improving how traditional herbal products are sold and recommended.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Expert consensus on the availability and consumption of herbal medicinal products in Thai pharmacies: An e-Delphi study.
Despite the growing use of herbal medicinal products (HMPs) in Thailand, factors relevant to their availability and consumption in pharmacies remain insufficiently characterized. Pharmacies and hea...
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