The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7254 p855
21 June 2003

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More research needed on herb-drug interactions

More systematic research into herb-drug interactions is "a matter of urgency" according to a research fellow at Exeter university.

Dr Joanna Thompson Coon of the department of complementary and alternative medicine carried out a survey to determine whether herb-drug interactions were being researched.

She sent questionnaires to the top 30 pharmaceutical companies (by sales) and the top 14 herbal medicine manufacturers. Out of 15 responders, 10 considered herb-drug interactions to be an important issue, but only three conducted studies. Only two regularly allocated funds to such research. Two herbal companies indicate that around 5 per cent of their annual research and development budget was allocated to herb-drug research in 2000. They were the only companies to address this question.

Dr Thompson Coon says there is widespread lack of interest in herb-drug interactions within the pharmaceutical and herbal industries. Reporting her findings in the Archives of Internal Medicine (2003;163:1371) she says more research is urgent considering the millions of patients taking concomitant herbal and conventional medicines, often without their doctor's or pharmacist's knowledge. She also comments on the current lack of understanding of such interactions.

Speaking to The Journal she said that a recent systematic review highlighting over 100 cases of herb-drug interactions was probably just the tip of the iceberg. There was little in the literature to illustrate the problem. More research funding in this area, whether independent or commercial, is a priority, she added.

Dr Thompson Coon urged pharmacists to be on the look out for any suspected herb-drug interactions and to fill out Yellow Card reports where necessary.