Pharmacy Student Perspectives on Classroom Education About Herbal Supplements

Objectives. To assess students’ perspectives on including education about herbal supplements in the curriculum. Methods. A 17-item questionnaire was distributed during regularly scheduled classes to third-, fourth-, and fifth-year pharmacy students. Results. A majority of the students perceived their knowledge of herbal supplements was inadequate. Almost all (95%) students reported a need to learn more about herbal supplements, primarily from pharmacy courses and books. Attitudes towards safety and efficacy of herbal supplements varied. Almost half agreed that herbal supplements should only be sold in pharmacies. Providing information on herbal supplements was viewed as the pharmacist’s responsibility. Conclusions. Students perceive their knowledge about herbal supplements to be inadequate and desire more information through didactic courses. While pharmacy associations should establish guidelines for herbal education in pharmacy curricula, pharmacy schools should work towards developing a structured approach to teaching about herbal supplements.