Common Side Effects And Adverse Drug Reactions Associated With Herbal Products In Bushenyi District

Abstract

A cross sectional study was conducted in Bushenyi district to review the side effects,

adverse effects and the process of collecting herbal medicines between September 2013

and February 2014.

The study found out that traditional herbs were being widely used in Bushenyi district in

the treatment of malaria, cough, vaginal dryness, abdominal cramps, erectile dysfunction

and fevers most frequently than other conditions.

The study also found that the most common side effects were nausea and vomiting,

diarrhea and headache reported by 12% of the respondents while of the respondents who

reported adverse effects. Were 3(1.6%)

1.63% of the respondents reported that they were combining the herbal products with the

conventional medicines.

The study concluded that; the use of traditional herbs in Bushenyi was associated with

various side effects, that very few respondents did experience life threatening adverse

effects with the use of traditional herbs in Bushenyi district. That most respondents were

exclusively using herbal medicines alone especially for the treatment of common

community ailment and inally that the process of collecting herbal drugs in Bushenyi was

crude and did not follow standard guidelines

The study recommended that the government of Uganda should integrate traditional

herbal medicines into the National health system in combination with National policy and

regulation for products, practices and providers in order to ensure safety and quality; the

use of safe, effective and quality products and practices, based on available evidence;

acknowledge herbal medicines as part of primary health care and should ensure patient

care by upgrading the skills and knowledge of herbalists. The government should also

make provision, for research into herbal medicines since WHO fully recognizes herbal

medicines as part of the health care system. And inally that the national drug authority

should train the herbalists on scienti ic methods of collecting herbs.