The Effects of Herbal and Dietary Supplements on Drug Efficacy and Toxicity

Abstract

The increasing popularity of herbal and dietary supplements has raised significant concerns within the medical and pharmaceutical communities regarding their interactions with prescription medications. This is important as the use of CAM increases as part of a person's primary treatment alongside traditional medicine to receive proper care. Many interactions between supplements and other medications are possible and can have detrimental consequences, including either decreased effectiveness of the medication or increased toxicity. This detailed review evaluates how and in what ways herbal and dietary supplements can affect the pharmacokinetic factors of drugs including absorption and metabolism, and the resulting therapeutic efficacy. The relevance of this topic cannot be overemphasized, given that recent research shows that patients' non-disclosure of supplement use by physicians stands at about 70%, thus contributing to knowledge deficits in clinical practice. They include multiple physiological interfaces and can have a great influence on patient safety and treatment outcomes. Originally from the impact of supplements on the metabolism of drugs through the cytochrome P450 enzymes up to changes in the pharmacokinetics of drugs, supplement-drug interactions are manifold and intricate. The processes through which patients interact with the technologies that affect them are also looked at closely in this paper, with implications for practice and clear directions for future study while stressing the need to vigilantly monitor the introduced technologies to avoid adverse effects as well as educate patients for their part.