Pharmacovigilance of Herbal Medicine: Herbavigilance

Abstract

Many patients use herbs/herbal supplements as an alternative and or adjunct to their prescribed medicine. Herbal products are preferred by population, because they are natural; and they are believed to be “safe” and “have less side effects” than the “synthetic drugs”. On the other hand, plants contain a number of active ingredients that produce the physiological effect in the body. If an herb/herbal product is claimed to have beneficial effect on a certain health condition, then it must be capable to change the physiological system; i.e., exert a pharmacological response. Therefore, it may likely possess side effects as well.