Community Pharmacy Policy and Procedures: Herbal Medications Services

Objectives: To underscore the pivotal role of the Herbal Medications policy in Community pharmacy practice as a groundbreaking initiative in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A comprehensive narrative review of Community pharmacy policy and procedures of the Herbal Medications system. Extensive literature searches were conducted across various databases, including PubMed, Medline, and Google Scholar, to gather specific Herbal Medications policies and procedures in Community pharmacy practice. The search period spans from the 1960s until October 2021 and the term is in English, encompassing narrative review, systematic review, meta-analysis, and guidelines. All hospital or community, Community pharmacy services, are included in the search term, along with national and international guidelines for general Herbal Medications in hospital practice. The Community Pharmacy Herbal Medications committee, consisting of various expert members, formulated the guidelines of the policy draft, which were reviewed and corrected by multiple members. The third revision was by the herbal medications specialist, who ensured the utmost accuracy and relevance in the research. Results: The Community pharmacy Herbal Medications policy consisted of various items. That has included a Herbal Medications committee, a pharmacist for Herbal Medications, the setup of a strategic and annual plan for community Herbal Medications services, assessments of Herbal Medications, conducting of education and training courses, herbal errors reporting system, herbal adverse drug reaction reporting system, community pharmacy and set up quality management and key performance indicators. Conclusion: The Community Pharmacy Herbal Medications policy is a new initiative and a necessary step for enhancing services and patient care through community pharmaceutical care performances. Herbal Medications, in this context, refer to medications derived from plants or plant extracts. The Herbal Medications policy covers alternative medicine as a new era of herbal therapy management. It equips pharmacists with the necessary skills in herbal medicine practice and herbal services for the public and healthcare organizations. Therefore, the Herbal Medications policy and procedures are recommended and are essential for community pharmacy services in Saudi Arabia.

Keywords: Herbal Medications, Policy, Community pharmacy, Saudi Arabia. 

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