摘要：Use of herbal medicine is increasing in Italy. Herbal preparations are generally used as selfmedication,
often in the wrong belief that “natural” can be equated with “harmless”. Whereas use of these
products has been associated with serious adverse events, due to the quality of the raw materials used, to
interactions with synthetic drugs or to their use in particular conditions, such as pregnancy or lactation. To
monitor herbal preparation use in the population is necessary in order to point out possible adverse reactions.
This was the objective of this pilot study, together with the urgency to inform health personnel and patients on
the correct use of these products. After this experience we strongly believe that a system to assess the safety
of herbal preparations is needed
