Herbal medicine: Knowledge, attitude and practice in Tehran

Herbal medicine is one of complementary medicine (CAM) approaches that refer to a group of therapeutic and diagnostic disciplines that exists largely outside the institutions where conventional health care is taught and provided for treating patients. Herbal medicine is discipline based on systems practiced thousands of years ago. World health organization reported that more than 60% of world’s population are using herbal components for their treatments. Herbal medicine is an increasing feature of healthcare practice, but considerable confusion remains what exactly it is and position the disciplines included under this term should hold in relation to conventional medicine. To study the Knowledge, attitude, and practice of complementary medicine (KAP Study). Design of this study was cross-sectional. Setting was Tehran city and study conducted on Oct 2003 – Oct 2004. Studied samples were 4123 subjects (more than 15 years old age) who were selected with cluster sampling. Data gathered with questionnaire. This survey showed that 75/6% of the studied population knew herbal therapy and 38.4% of total population and 50.8% of population who knew about herbal therapy, had used it once at least. More than 60% of population of different areas of Tehran city knew this therapy and 19-70% of this population had been used it. Most subjects have heard about this type of therapy from others. Most of subjects who used herbal therapy expressed that it was very effective. Most of them referred to non-physicians and most of their diseases were gastro-intestinal, respiratory and nervous system diseases. Female, married subjects and elderly were the most users of herbal therapy. Public knowledge and demand for herbal medicine is considerable. Demand for herbal medicine had growth therefore we need more attention in planning for treatments and academic approach to herbal medicine. Health system provision might go some way to ensure certain minimum standards such as proper regulation, standardized note keeping, effective channels of communication (patients also want to be protected from unqualified practitioners and inappropriate treatments) and participation in research.