Prevalence and Predictors of Herbal Medicine Use Among Adults in the United States

Objective: To describe the prevalence of herbal medicine use among US adults and to assess factors associated with and predictors of herbal use. Design: The data for herbal products use were collected from the 2015 National Consumer Survey on the Medication Experience and Pharmacists’ Roles. Chi-square test was used to analyz factors associated with herbal use, and predictors of herbal use were assessed with logistic regression analysis. Results: Factors associated with herbal supplement use include age older than 70, having a higher than high school education, using prescription medications or over-thecounter (OTC) medications, and using a mail-order pharmacy.” All Disease state associated significantly with herbal use. Approximately thirty-eight percent of those who used herbals used prescription medications and 42% of those who used herbals also used an OTC medication. The most frequent conditions associated with herbal supplement use were a stroke (48.7%), cancer (43.1%), and arthritis (43.0%). Among herbal product users, factors that predicted use included having higher than school education, using OTC medications, using mail-order pharmacy, stroke, obesity, arthritis, and breathing problems. Conclusions: More than one-third of respondents reported using herbal supplements. Older age and higher education were associated with a higher use of herbal supplements. People with chronic diseases are more likely to use herbal medicines than others. OTC drug users and patients with stroke are more likely to use herbal medicines than others

A qualitative study of naturopathy in rural practice: A focus upon naturopaths' experiences and perceptions of rural patients and demands for their services

Background. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use - of which naturopathy constitutes a significant proportion - accounts for approximately half of all health consultations and half of out-of-pocket expenditure in Australia. Data also suggest CAM use is highest amongst rural Australians. Unfortunately little is known about the grass-roots reality of naturopathy or other CAM use in rural regions. Methods. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 naturopaths practising in the Darling Downs region of South-East Queensland to assess their perceptions and experiences of rural patients and demand for their services. Results. Naturopaths described strong demand in rural areas for their services and perceived much of this demand as attributable to cultural traits in rural communities that served as pull factors for their naturopathic services. Such perceived traits included a cultural affinity for holistic approaches to health and disease and the preventive philosophy of naturopathy and an appreciation of the core tenet of naturopathic practice to develop closer therapeutic relationships. However, cost and a rural culture of self-reliance were seen as major barriers to naturopathic practice in rural areas. Conclusions. Demand for naturopathic services in rural areas may have strong underlying cultural and social drivers. Given the apparent affinity for and increasingly large role played by CAM services, including naturopathic medicine, in rural areas it is imperative that naturopathic medicine and the CAM sector more broadly become a core focus of rural health research

The Economics of the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET)

In response to increasing awareness of climate change, the Howard government implemented the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET) in 2001. It requires electricity wholesalers to source an additional 9500 GWh of electricity from renewable sources by 2010. Electricity wholesalers are required to subsidise renewable energy generators by purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) equivalent to the target; failure to do so incurs a penalty of $40 per megawatt. Economic analysis is used to investigate the design and likely operation and limitations of the MRET

Psychopharmacology in School-Based Mental Health Services

The use of pharmacological approaches in the treatment of children with serious emotional and mental disorders has become increasingly accepted and proven to be an important component of overall care. Increasingly, greater numbers of children attend school under pharmacological treatment, and such treatment is increasingly used to address behavioral difficulties that interfere with learning within school-based mental health services. However, the appropriate use of such agents and the use of psychiatric diagnosis in their selection continue to be topics of discussion in the lay and educational literature. This article will address the current state of psychopharmacological treatment for diagnostic entities and behavioral symptomatology, which can present in the context of the classroom and in school-based mental health services. The roles of the child and family, child and adolescent psychiatrists, and other health and educational professionals in treatment selection and implementation is discussed

Point-Of-Sale System (POS System)

The Point-of-Sale System can be used in small to medium scale supermarkets for its inventory and sales operations. The system is done in a PC-based environment. The point-of-Sale System has three components, namely, data communication, cash register and the application program. The data communication serves as the link between the computer and the cash register through an RS232 cable. The cash register is where the sales transactions are accepted. These sales transactions, on the other hand, is processed by an application program to produce inventory and sales information to update the company regarding its operations