Abstract
The use of alternative medical therapies has increased greatly over recent years. We conducted a survey of over one hundred local pharmacists and non-pharmacist retailers of health food products (NPRs) to assess pharmacy and pharmacist involvement in the sale of herbal products. Nearly all pharmacies sold herbal products, but only 2.1% of pharmacists reported training specific to herbal therapy. Pharmacists were more likely to recommend an herbal preparation to a customer than to actually use the product, and few pharmacists routinely informed their customers of potential adverse effects. Pharmacies are dedicated to the sale of herbal preparations, but pharmacists lack significant training in the area, raising questions about their ability to provide adequate patient service.