title: Pharmacists' personal use, professional practice behaviors, and perceptions regarding herbal and other natural products.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize pharmacists' personal and family use of, professional practice behaviors regarding, and perceptions of herbal and other natural products (H/NPs), and to ascertain whether these characteristics differ by pharmacists' education, practice setting, and other demographic characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Minnesota.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional questionnaire mailed in June 2000.
  
  
  METHODS
  A random sample of 1,017 pharmacists with active Minnesota licenses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 533 respondents, 282 (53%) reported personal use of H/NPs, and 240 (45%) reported having recommended H/NPs to a family member. Pharmacists working in community/outpatient settings and pharmacists living in nonurban areas were more likely to report H/NP use. Patients' requests, consumer demand, manufacturer's reputation, and manufacturer's ability to provide product quality data were key factors influencing respondents' decisions to purchase and stock H/NPs in the pharmacy. Trade journals/professional newsletters, continuing education coursework, reference texts, and reports of randomized clinical trials were considered very important sources of information about H/NPs. However, almost all respondents (95%) felt available information on H/NPs was "not adequate" or only "somewhat adequate." Half the pharmacists (51%) believed that H/NPs were safe, but only 19% believed they were effective. Slightly more than half of the respondents (56%) reported suggesting to a patient that he or she try an H/NP. The amount of government oversight of H/NPs was considered "not adequate" by 78% of pharmacists. On average, pharmacists reported that patients ask them questions regarding H/NPs 7 times per 40-hour workweek; other health care practitioners ask an average of 1.3 times per week.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pharmacists' personal use of H/NPs is as high or higher than that of other groups of Americans, and they use similar products. Decisions to stock H/NPs in a pharmacy are influenced by consumer demand and concern for product quality. Pharmacists desire more information on H/NPs and more government oversight of these products, and pharmacists are increasingly being sought out as sources of information regarding H/NPs.
authors: College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, 7-159 Weaver-Densford Hall, 308 Harvard Street, SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
authors: Eileen M
authors: EM
authors: Welna
authors: Ronald S
authors: RS
authors: Hadsall
authors: Jon C
authors: JC
authors: Schommer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000523:psychology*; D004346:Drug Information Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000523:psychology*; D028321:Plant Preparations; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D028321:Plant Preparations