Herbal Medicines: Personal Use, Knowledge, Attitude, Dispensing Practice, and the Barriers among Community Pharmacists in Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia (original) (raw)

2017, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Background. Herbal medicine use is increasing and the global market is estimated to be US$107 billion by the year 2017. Objectives. This study aimed at assessing community pharmacists’ personal use, knowledge, attitude, dispensing practice, and the barriers regarding herbal medicines. Methods. Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted among 47 community pharmacists in Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia, using a structured interviewing questionnaire. Results. Nearly half of the respondents (n=22, 46.8%) sometimes use herbal medicines. Although knowledge related to such preparations was self-rated as poor/acceptable (n=34, 72.4%), majority (n=44, 93.7%) of community pharmacists agree/strongly agree that herbal medicines have beneficial effects. Only 6 (12.7%) of them are sometimes/often engaged in dispensing herbal medicines and most of them (n=34, 72.3%) rarely/never counseled clients regarding these preparations. Limited knowledge on and access to information regarding herbal me...