Study on herbal medicine prescription and selling in drugstores of Esfahan

Abstract

- Determining people trend to herbal medicine consumption since 10 years ago. - Numbers of drugstores which directly prescribe herbal medicines. - Numbers of prescriptions which contain herbal medicine as a medicinal item. - Awareness of medical and pharmaceutical students on herbal medicine. - Supply sources of herbal medicines for drugstores. - Herbal medicine problems in relation to prescription and consumption This study was a measuremental study in 2002 based on 30 filled questionnaire distributed among drugstores in Esfahan - Consumption of herbal medicines has increased since 10 years ago. - Culture of the people, population and situation of drugstores in each district are the most important factors affecting on the people numbers who attend to drugstores. - 80 percent of the people who attend to drugstores for herbal medicines were female. - 53.4 percent of people who attend to drugstores for herbal medicines were between 20-40 years old, 46.6 percent were more than 40 and nobody under 20 years old. - 86.6 percent of pharmacists were directly recommending and prescribing herbal medicines for people. - Less than 30 percent of prescription which received to the drugstores have herbal medicine as a medicinal item. - 87 percent of herbal medicine demands were for digestive problems. - 90 percent of herbal medicines in drugstores were made domestically and 10 percent were imported. Herbal medicine consumption is growing up and needs to be controlled and managed not only for their quality but also for proper prescription by physicians and pharmacists.