Herbal and botanical medicine has been around for centuries. Complementary and alternative medical treatments such as herbal supplements have become increasingly popular in the United States, especially among older patients and those with chronic pain. However, many of these products can have serious and potentially harmful side effects when combined with medications prescribed for chronic conditions, or during and after surgery. This course will review clinically relevant information on commonly used herbal medications regarding therapeutic effectiveness, pharmacologic mechanism of action, adverse effects and drug interactions based on scientific evidence. It will provide the knowledge and tools required for clinicians to discuss natural health products with patients and other members of the healthcare team. This CE webinar will review the need for health care professionals to actively inquire if the patient is taking herbal medications and take this information into account prior to prescribing new medications to decrease the risk of complications that can occur.

At the end of this CE webinar, the participant will be able to:
• Evaluate common drug-supplement interactions
• Discuss medications and supplement use and their effect on the liver
• Identify the differences between complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and integrative therapy
• Research available resources that can be used to help treat patients who use supplements and prevent complications   ( disclaimer, bio and commercial disclosure )