Home Care Provid. 1998 Oct; 3(5): 253-5.

Problems with herbal remedies in anticoagulated home care patients.

Catania PN.

Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, University of the Pacific, Stockton, Calif. 95211, USA.

The increasing popularity of alternative therapies, including herbal remedies, poses new challenges for home health care providers. The cost of herbal remedy use now exceeds $1 billion annually in the United States and is expected to increase. The use of traditional medicine in combination with alternative therapy may lead to complications for patients and their caregivers as evidenced by the adverse effects of certain herbal products in patients who receive traditional anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication.