Community pharmacist's responsibilities with regards to traditional medicine/complementary medicine products: A systematic literature review

BackgroundThe use of Traditional Medicine/Complementary Medicine (TM/CM) products has gained popularity in many countries. There is a growing body of evidence to support that concomitant use of TM/CM products with certain pharmaceutical medicines may adversely affect treatment outcomes. There is a general consensus that pharmacists have a role to play in the safe and appropriate use of these products. However, the extent of their involvement and responsibilities are not yet defined. Clear guidelines that inform their duty of care are essential for pharmacists to establish their role in the management of TM/CM product use.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to determine pharmacist's responsibilities with regards to TM/CM products that have been discussed in the literature since 2000.MethodsA literature search in 3 electronic databases (Web of Science, Science Direct and PubMed) was used to extract publications from 2000 to 2015 that related pharmacist to TM/CM products. Out of the 2859 publications extracted for abstract review, 171 documents were selected for full text assessment. 41 publications which reported findings from exploratory studies or discussed pharmacists' responsibilities towards TM/CM products were selected for inclusion in this study.ResultsSeven major responsibilities were frequently discussed in the literature: (1) to acknowledge the use; (2) to be knowledgeable about the TM/CM products; (3) to ensure safe use of TM/CM products; (4) to document the use of TM/CM products; (5) to report ADRs related to TM/CM products; (6) to educate about TM/CM products; and (7) to collaborate with other health care professionals.ConclusionVarious forms and levels of pharmacists' responsibilities with TM/CM products have been mentioned in the literature. Subsequent work towards a common consensus must take into account three influential factors strategically: the scope of TM/CM products, objectives of pharmacists' involvement and the perspectives of key stakeholders.