The Herbal Hospitalist

Until all the answers are in, clinicians need to remember that herbs are popular and will probably be part of our healthcare system for the foreseeable future. Although many herbs have promising data to suggest we may welcome them into our repertoire of agents, the focus in the hospital (for now) must be to make sure our patients do not suffer harm from such agents. By working with them in a collaborative partnership and sharing the data we do have at hand, we can ensure that our patients have the information they need to make informed decisions about their decision to use (or not to use) herbs. TH

Brent Bauer, MD, is consultant director for the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Program, Mayo Clinic Rochester.

References

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