(2) APhA-ASP encourages colleges/schools of pharmacy to implement herbal/complementary drug education in their curriculum.

R2 PRT: Herbal/Complementary Drug Education - Wording/action:
(2) APhA-ASP encourages colleges/schools of pharmacy to implement herbal/complementary drug education in their curriculum.

Reasons for the Action(s) / Pros and Cons:
Pros:
The use of complementary/alternative medicine has become more prevalent. It is important that student pharmacists be aware of the effects of these products and the possibility of severe drug-herbal interactions. Patients are more and more turning to over the counter herbal preparations to help relieve their ailments. Herbal supplements can be a cheaper, less “scary” alternative to prescribed medications for the patient.
Often, herbal supplements are recommended to the patient via doctors, advertisements, friends, and even pharmacists. Therefore it is important for student pharmacists to learn about these products and to be able to recognize any interactions between a patients documented medical record and what they are supplementing with over the counter.

Cons:
It will require a significant amount of time on the part of the college/school of pharmacy to design a new course focused on herbal/complementary drug education and to implement it into the curriculum.

Stephen Creasy and Sara Snow ; 410-303-2962, 910-279-9323 ;
screasy@su.edu, ssnow@su.edu ; Shenandoah University