Will Alternative Therapies Work with Warfarin?
In fact, its now estimated that as many as one in three adults in the U.S. uses herbal remedies and other alternative therapies. Sales of herbal medicine skyrocketed nearly 60 percent in 1997, amounting to an incredible $3.24 billion. Yet, doctors are not always aware of the fact that their patients are using alternative treatments. One study a few years ago indicated that only 58 percent of the physicians surveyed always or often question their patients about alternative therapies. A majority of doctors questioned believe that herbal remedies have no side effects or quite limited side effects. As a result of this study, researchers determined that physicians tend to underestimate how many of their patients are using alternative therapies. The Safety Issue Although alternative therapies are more popular than ever, it still isnt clear how safe these remedies are. Consequently, it can be hard for a pharmacist to advise a patient about the proper use of such therapies in connection with p
