Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Herbal Medicine Use Among Healthcare Workers in Federal Medical Centre Yola, Adamawa State, North East Nigeria

Healthcare workers serve as influential gatekeepers of medical knowledge and are uniquely positioned to counsel patients on the safe use of herbal medicines. Yet their own knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding herbal medicine use remain poorly characterised in North East Nigeria. This study assesses the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of herbal medicine use among healthcare workers at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yola, Adamawa State. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a validated KAP questionnaire administered to 200 healthcare workers including physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and community health extension workers selected by stratified random sampling. Knowledge was assessed across pharmacognostic, safety, and regulatory domains. Results showed that 41% of respondents had good knowledge of herbal medicine properties, while 63% held favourable attitudes toward herbal medicine integration in healthcare. Forty-eight percent reported personal use of herbal preparations in the preceding 12 months. Pharmacists demonstrated the highest knowledge scores. Less than one-quarter of respondents routinely asked patients about concurrent herbal medicine use. Lack of formal training was the most commonly cited barrier to confident herbal medicine counselling. The study recommends the inclusion of clinical pharmacognosy and herb-drug interaction modules in continuing professional education programmes for healthcare workers in Adamawa State. Keywords: knowledge attitude practice, herbal medicine, healthcare workers, Yola, Adamawa State