Pharmacy Information

CRITERION
DEFINITION
ITEMS ASSESSED

Nomenclature (NOM)

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The name of the herb or herbal product
  • Scientific botanical name(s)
  • Common name (s)
  • Pharmacologically active constituent(s) name(s)

Indication(s) (IND)

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The conditions, symptoms for which the herb is claimed to have a curative or preventive therapeutic action
  • Clear distinction between advertisement and sound scientific information useful to health providers.

Dose   (DOSE)    

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The amount of the herbal product administered
  • Quantity
  • Dosage form (tea, powder, root, capsule, etc.)
  • Preparation method
  • Route of administration
  • What to do if a dose is missed.
  • Storage and stability of phytopharmaceutical
  • Dosing information for pediatric and geriatric population
  • Dosing information by indication and/or co-existing condition.

Mechanism of Action  (MOA)

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The reference to the pharmacologic action(s) of the herb
  • Pharmacodynamic properties and pharmacologic action of an herbal product
  • Pharmacodynamic properties and pharmacologic action of individual constituent(s).

Interactions  (INTX)

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The additive, antagonistic or synergistic effect between an herbal preparation and a drug, another herb or food resulting in a therapeutic incompatibility
  • Drug-herb interaction
  • Herb-herb interaction
  • Herb-food interaction
  • Herb interfering with laboratory test causing false results
  • Clear distinction between accounts of reported interactions and inference from the mechanism of action or known uses of the herb
  • Report of absence or presence of drug interaction

Side effects  (S.E.)

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The undesired action(s) of an herbal product causing adverse reactions
  • Report of absence or presence of side effects
  • Degrees of clinical significance of side effect
  • Mechanism causing the side effect

Contaminants  (CONT)

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The unexpected presence of a chemical entity in an herbal product
  • Report of presence of adulterants
  • Analysis of adulterant
  • Report of side effects caused by adulterant
  • Name of common adulterants

Contraindications/Warning  (C.I.)

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Prior condition(s) of a patient precluding the use of an herbal product or limiting its usage as a drug
  • Absolute contraindication
  • Relative contraindication
  • Report of presence or absence of contraindications

Toxicology (TOX)

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The mechanism of toxic action and side effects caused by an herbal overdose
  • Symptomatology
  • Toxic dose
  • Treatment of overdose

Chemistry (CHEM)

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Physical, chemical and organoleptic properties of an herbal and its methods of analysis
  • Analytic chemistry of the herbal product and its constituents
  • Organoleptic and physical properties of the herbal and its constituents

Created June 26, 2000