Safety Issues with St. John's Wort Labels
Author Information
Author(s): Clauson Kevin A, Santamarina Marile L, Rutledge Jennifer C
Primary Institution: Nova Southeastern University, College of Pharmacy
Hypothesis
The study aims to evaluate the clinically relevant safety information included on labeling in a nationally representative sample of St. John's wort products from the USA.
Conclusion
The vast majority of SJW products fail to adequately address clinically relevant safety issues on their labeling.
Supporting Evidence
- No product label provided information for all 8 evaluation criteria.
- Three products provided information on 7 of the 8 criteria.
- Four products provided no safety information whatsoever.
- The average number of safety issues included on a product label was 1.91.
Takeaway
Most St. John's wort products don't tell you important safety information on their labels, which could lead to problems if you're taking other medications.
Methodology
The study evaluated the labeling of SJW products for eight clinically relevant safety issues using a nationally representative sample.
Limitations
The sample was limited to products available in the USA, and not all safety issues were assessed.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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