SURVEY OF THE HERBAL MEDICINES MARKETED IN A PHARMACY IN THE CITY OF CERRO LARGO, RS, BRAZIL, AND THERAPEUTIC INFORMATION OF THE MAIN ACTIVE PLANT SPECIES

Abstract

This work aimed to perform a survey of the commercial and compounding herbal medicines most commercialized in a local Pharmacy, in the city of Cerro Largo, RS, Brazil and searching for the therapeutic information about the active plant species in the main products. A retrospective survey of products sold in 2016 was carried out. During the mentioned period, 986 units of commercial herbal medicines were dispensed, comprising 57 different products and 144 units of compounding herbal medicines were produced, comprising 8 different products (1.74% and 1.5% of net sales value of commercial and compounding products, respectively). Eighteen plant species were more present in the industrialized products and five species were more present in the compounding production, representing 91.3% and 89.6% of the total units, respectively. The commercialization of herbal medicines was small and the majority of the commercialized products were focused in a few species. Thus, the therapeutic information of the 21 main plant species was compiled, and verified the side-effects, contraindications and drug interactions for most of them. After this survey we considered this informations highly important to the pharmaceutical assistance, regarding the correct and appropriate use of these herbal medicines.