Pharmacy study of natural health product adverse reactions (SONAR): a cross-sectional study using active surveillance in community pharmacies to detect adverse events associated with natural health products and assess causality.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To investigate the rates and causality of adverse event(s) (AE) associated with natural health product (NHP) use, prescription drug use and concurrent NHP-drug use through active surveillance in community pharmacies.

Design

Cross-sectional study of screened patients.

Setting

10 community pharmacies across Alberta and British Columbia, Canada from 14 January to 30 July 2011.

Participants

The participating pharmacy staff screened consecutive patients, or agents of patients, who were dropping or picking up prescription medications.

Primary outcome measures

Patients were screened to determine the proportions of them using prescription drugs and/or NHPs, as well as their respective AE rates. All AEs reported by the screened patients who took a NHP,

SUBMITTER: Necyk C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3975764 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature