Many herbal medicines sold in Australia are not registered for sale or their contents differ to the legally registered items.
A survey led by Dr Ian Musgrave investigated 121 products sold as herbal remedies, finding 18% were not registered with the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, despite it being a legal requirement of their sale.
Of the registered products, 60% inaccurately listed their ingredient concentrations on their website compared with the Therapeutic Goods listing.
The survey raises concerns about the quality of information available to consumers about herbal remedies, and highlights a significant obstacle to understanding the way prescription drugs might interact with herbal medicines.
Read more at University of Adelaide