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. Moreover they are believed to be “safe” and “have less side effects” than “synthetic drugs”. On the other hand, plants contain a number of active ingredients that produce 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 possess side effects as well.