Perception of natural therapies following student-led education

ObjectiveThis pilot study sets out to discover the consumer's attitudes and perceptions about herbal therapy—both before and after viewing student pharmacists' posters that included information on various supplements and herbal therapies.MethodsAn eleven-question survey was distributed among 61 attendees. In addition to demographic information, questions were asked about opinions of safety and efficacy of natural supplements and herbal therapies. Additionally, respondents were asked about their intended future use of herbal therapies.ResultsTwenty-four percent of the survey respondents changed their perception regarding the safety of natural and herbal therapies, (p = 0.23), while 45% changed their perception of efficacy (p = 0.012). Overall, there was not an anticipated change in the use of natural and herbal therapies among the respondents. Prior use of or familiarity with natural or herbal products did not influence future anticipated use.ConclusionStudent pharmacists' poster presentations significantly changed the perception regarding the efficacy of dietary supplements, but not the perception of safety.