Survey of Herbal Medicine Use and Potential Drug-Herb Interactions Among Patients in Imo State

Concurrent use of herbal medicines and conventional pharmaceuticals exposes patients to potential drug-herb interactions that may alter drug efficacy or increase toxicity. This study surveyed the prevalence of herbal medicine use and assessed potential drug-herb interactions among patients attending medical outpatient clinics at a public hospital in Owerri, Imo State, South East Nigeria. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 240 outpatients using structured face-to-face interviews. Data collected included names of conventional drugs and herbal products used, frequency and dose of herbal products, disclosure to healthcare providers, and reasons for herbal use. Drug-herb interactions were assessed using a validated reference database. Results showed that 62.5 percent of respondents were current users of herbal medicines, and 74.3 percent of herbal medicine users were concurrently using conventional drugs. Disclosure of herbal use to healthcare providers was made by only 18.7 percent of patients. Potential drug-herb interactions were identified in 38.6 percent of concurrent users, with significant concerns involving anticoagulants and garlic, antihypertensives and bitter kola, and antiretroviral drugs and herbal immune boosters. The study concludes that undisclosed herbal medicine use and potentially harmful drug-herb interactions are prevalent in Imo State. Recommendations include integrating herbal medicine history-taking into routine clinical assessments and training healthcare providers to counsel patients effectively on drug-herb interaction risks.

Keywords: herbal medicines, drug-herb interactions, complementary medicine, Imo State, South East Nigeria