Efficacy and safety of natural medicines
Despite the efficacy and safety of natural medicines often being poorly characterised, they are widely used in Western societies. Although there may be a few exceptions, health claims about natural medicines can be misleading or not supported by scientific evidence. Natural medicines can adversely affect conventional drug treatment, causing toxic reactions or reducing the effectiveness of prescribed treatments (1–7).
250
“Herbalbase covers
over 250 natural
medicines.”
Clinical solution
Herbalbase provides evidence-based evaluations of natural medicines. In Herbalbase, the efficacy and safety of natural medicines are evaluated using similar criteria and methodology to that required for the evaluation of conventional drugs. Herbalbase is designed for healthcare professionals to get quick answers when patients inquire about the use of natural medicines.
Key characteristics
of Herbalbase
- Pharmacological effects of natural medicines
- Efficacy ratings based on clinical evidence, divided into evidence-based indications and traditional indications
- Safety of natural medicines with information on contraindications and adverse effect profiles
- Safety regarding use of natural medicines during pregnancy and lactation
- More than 1,200 interactions with prescription and over-the-counter drugs
- Enables searching by natural medicine name, adverse effect, or by indication or contraindication
- Relevant synonyms of natural medicines are included
Classification methodology
Classification and recommendations in Herbalbase
In Herbalbase, natural medicines have two alternative efficacy ratings:
- Evidence-based indication if there are several good quality clinical studies—with accepted methodology and sufficient study sizes—describing the efficacy
- Traditional indication if there is either strong traditional use of the natural medicine supported by evidence from preclinical studies or insufficient clinical evidence for efficacy
The analysis of the efficacy of the substance contains a short description of the pharmacological effects as well as a description of the results from clinical studies, dosing information for different formulations, and a description of the traditional use in folk medicine.
The analysis of the safety of the substance is based on the evidence from clinical studies as well as pharmacoepidemiological and pharmacovigilance data of reported adverse effects. Based on this information, all substances have been given contraindications and adverse effect profiles characterised by standard terms.
Safety during pregnancy and lactation as well as interactions with drugs are described and classified as in the Gravbase & Lactbase and Inxbase.
Languages and local drug registries
Medbase content is available in English and more than ten additional languages. To further improve local usability, we accommodate national, local and customer-specific drug product registries, allowing access to information using local drug product names and IDs.
Integration with local electronic health record (EHR) systems is straightforward, enabling smooth and efficient use of regularly updated Medbase drug information across various countries.
Latest information from trusted sources
All information is based on scientific evidence. We refer to published, peer-reviewed research articles from PubMed, a reliable source of biomedical and life sciences literature, as well as regulatory authority approved documents.
Medbase Knowledgebase is continuously updated to ensure the inclusion of the latest information.
Supporting informed decisions for safe drug use
Enhanced patient safety
Holistic approach to patient’s pharmacotherapy enabling individualised drug treatment.
100% Evidence-based
Fully referenced information with transparency to original sources: documents approved by regulatory authorities and peer-reviewed literature.
Clinical relevance
We provide comprehensive and concise information for safe use of drugs, accessible from one single source.
Digitalised doctor consultation
Designed to support busy clinical practice for safe use of drugs. All information is created and validated by physicians specialised in clinical pharmacology.
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- Jacobsson I, Jönsson AK, Gerdén B, Hägg S. Spontaneously reported adverse reactions in association with complementary and alternative medicine substances in Sweden. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 2009 Nov;18(11):1039-4.
- Firkins R, Eisfeld H, Keinki C, Buentzel J, Hochhaus A, Schmidt T, Huebner J. The use of complementary and alternative medicine by patients in routine care and the risk of interactions. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol. 2018 Mar;144(3):551-557.
- Lombardi N, Crescioli G, Bettiol A, Menniti-Ippolito F, Maggini V, Gallo E, Mugelli A, Vannacci A, Firenzuoli F. Safety of complementary and alternative medicine in children: A 16-years retrospective analysis of the Italian Phytovigilance system database. Phytomedicine. 2019 Aug;61:152856.
- Carlsson JM, Vestin M, Bjerså K. Use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among emergency department (ED) patients in Sweden. BMC Complement Med Ther. 2020 Oct 31;20(1):327.
- Hassen G, Belete G, Carrera KG, Iriowen RO, Araya H, Alemu T, Solomon N, Bam DS, Nicola SM, Araya ME, Debele T, Zouetr M, Jain N. Clinical Implications of Herbal Supplements in Conventional Medical Practice: A US Perspective. Cureus. 2022 Jul;14(7):e26893.
- Lee EL, Richards N, Harrison J, Barnes J. Prevalence of Use of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine by the General Population: A Systematic Review of National Studies Published from 2010 to 2019. Drug Saf. 2022 Jul;45(7):713-735.
- Pyykkönen M, Aarva P, Ahola S, Pasanen M, Helin K. Use of complementary and integrative health in Finland: a cross-sectional survey. BMC Complement Med Ther. 2023 Aug 4;23(1):279.