General practitioners and St. John's Wort: A question of regulation or knowledge?

Abstract

Background: St. John's Wort (SJW), also known as Hypericum perforatum, is a herbal remedy available over-the-counter. There is evidence that it can treat mild to moderate depression but has potential side effects and important drug interactions. Objective: To determine general practitioners' (GPs') knowledge and recommendation of SJW for mild to moderate depression within a climate of widespread community use of complementary therapies and debate about regulation. Design and setting: Postal survey of a random sample of 350 Australian GPs. Results: Forty-eight percent responded. One-third (31%) reported recommending SJW to patients with mild to moderate depression. Of these, only one-third (3..