Herbal/Prescription Awareness Month
July 2002

St. John's Wort, echinacea, ginseng. These may sound like foreign words or strange medical conditions, but they are actually a few of the natural herbs that are becoming increasingly popular with patients around the country. More and more people in the United States are choosing Eastern medicine and alternative treatments, and the business of selling herbal supplements for health conditions is growing rapidly.

Herbal supplements are classified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as part of a general group of "dietary supplements." In 1994, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) was created. Under this act, a dietary supplement is defined as "a product (other than tobacco) intended to supplement the diet that bears or contains any of the following dietary ingredients: a vitamin, mineral, amino acid, herb, or other botanical."

These days there seem to be herbal remedies for almost every medical ailment, including some types of depression. Although available over the counter, these supplements should be treated with the same seriousness as prescription medications since they can interact with other medications. You should therefore inform your doctor of any herbal supplements you are taking. This is especially important because the FDA does not review or regulate herbal supplements before they are marketed to the public. In addition, manufacturers producing herbal remedies classified as dietary supplements are not required to perform studies on effectiveness, dosage, or safety.

Be an informed consumer. Ask the manufacturer and your doctor questions before taking any herbal supplements. This will help ensure that the herbs you ingest are safe and can help to improve your physical health and mental well-being instead of making them worse.