Job Kathleen M, Kiang Tony K L, Constance Jonathan E, Sherwin Catherine M T, Enioutina Elena Yu
a Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics , University of Utah School of Medicine , Salt Lake City , UT , USA.
b Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences , The University of British Columbia , Vancouver , Canada.
Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol. 2016 Dec;9(12):1597-1609. doi: 10.1080/17512433.2016.1238762. Epub 2016 Oct 3.
Similar to other nations North American people used herbs for thousands of years to treat diseases and purify their spirits. By the middle of the 1900s, evidence-based conventional medicine received wide acceptance in Canada and the United States (US). Nowadays, people are going back to their roots and actively using herbal medicines (HMs) and natural health products (NHPs). Areas covered: This article is focusing on use and regulation of the HMs and NHPs in Canada and the US, raises concerns regarding HM and NHP safety and efficacy, offers suggestions on how to overcome these problems. Materials available from legislative and governmental websites, PubMed and news media were used. Expert commentary: Use of HMs, especially dietary supplements is widespread among adults in Canada and US. HMs and NHPs are regulated in both countries, but minimum criteria for product approval and post-market surveillance have been set. Concerns of quality, contamination, adulteration, and efficacy in are of central importance in the discussion of HMs and NHPs. Detailed product description and research are of vital importance to ensure safety and efficacy of these products. Additionally, 'herbal' education of healthcare providers and patients is needed to guarantee further successful integration of HM and conventional medicines.
与其他国家类似，北美人民数千年来一直使用草药治疗疾病并净化心灵。到20世纪中叶，循证传统医学在加拿大和美国得到广泛认可。如今，人们正回归本源，积极使用草药和天然健康产品。涵盖领域：本文聚焦于加拿大和美国草药与天然健康产品的使用及监管，对草药和天然健康产品的安全性和有效性提出担忧，并就如何克服这些问题提供建议。使用了来自立法和政府网站、PubMed及新闻媒体的资料。专家评论：草药的使用，尤其是膳食补充剂在加拿大和美国的成年人中广泛存在。两国均对草药和天然健康产品进行监管，但已设定产品批准和上市后监测的最低标准。在讨论草药和天然健康产品时，质量、污染、掺假和有效性问题至关重要。详细的产品描述和研究对于确保这些产品的安全性和有效性至关重要。此外，需要对医疗服务提供者和患者进行“草药”教育，以保证草药与传统药物进一步成功整合。
