Knowledge and Attitudes of Pharmacists in a Midwestern State Regarding Natural Products

Objectives. The purpose of this descriptive investigation was to determine the perceived knowledge of and attitudes toward natural products by pharmacists in Missouri. Methods. A questionnaire was mailed to 2921 licensed pharmacists. Assessments were conducted regarding the venues and specific resources these pharmacists utilized in order to gain knowledge in the area of natural products. Results. Over half (56.9%) of those surveyed indicated that they received natural product questions on a weekly basis, but only a minority (2.4%) felt they could “always answer natural product questions.” The most commonly used means for education was printed continuing education (70.2%). Only 12.5% of pharmacists indicated that they had gained knowledge about natural products from their didactic pharmacy education. Conclusions. These results confirm the need to provide pharmacists with additional education on natural products. Ideas for integrating education on natural products into pharmacy school curricula are presented. Read More: https://www.ajpe.org/doi/full/10.5688/aj67024