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Publisher: Peytchinski Publishing Ltd.
ISSN: 1312-773X (Online)
Issue: 2020, vol. 26, issue3
Subject Area: Medicine
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DOI: 10.5272/jimab.2020263.3278
Published online: 10 August 2020
Original articles
J of IMAB. 2020 Jul-Sep;26(3):3278-3284
CONSUMERS' ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE USE OF HERBAL MEDICINES AND HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS IN NORTHEASTERN BULGARIA
Nadya Agova1
, Galina Petrova2 
, Svetlana Georgieva1, Ivo Kumanov2,
1) Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University Varna, Bulgaria.
2) Department of Organization and Economics of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University Varna, Bulgaria.
ABSTRACT:
The global use of herbal medicinal products over the past decade has led to the marketing of a large number of herbal medicines and herbal supplements. Although some herbal medicines have promising potential and are widely used, many of them remain untested, and their use also not monitored. The purpose of our study is to investigate the attitudes of consumers in Northeastern Bulgaria to the use of herbal medicines and herbal supplements. The article uses a sociological method for data collection, and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data and process the results. The study involved 170 users living in Northeastern Bulgaria. Respondents are unevenly rationеd by gender, with women prevailing - 70.60%, men - 29.40%. In terms of age, the rationing is as follows: The largest share of the age group 18-30 years, followed by the age group 41-50 years, and 31-40 years. The respondents are mostly with higher education - 70.40%, with secondary education are 23.90% and only 5.80% have secondary special education. Consumers most often buy herbal medicines and supplements to solve health problems related to weak immunity, viral diseases, gastrointestinal problems, insomnia and others. The doctor's and the pharmacist's recommendations have a significant influence on the choice of herbal medicines and food supplements. The positive attitude of the respondents towards them is due to the lack of data on side effects and the benefits they receive. In order to achieve the rational use of herbal medicines and herbal dietary supplements, a better understanding of the impact of food supplements on patients must be a key priority.
Keywords: consumers' attitudes, use, herbal medicines, herbal supplements,
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Please cite this article as: Agova N, Petrova G, Georgieva S, Kumanov I. Consumers' Attitudes Towards the Use of Herbal Medicines and Herbal Supplements in Northeastern Bulgaria. J of IMAB. 2020 Jul-Sep;26(3):3278-3284. DOI: 10.5272/jimab.2020263.3278
Correspondence to: Galina Petrova, Medical University “Prof. Dr. Paraskev Stoyanov” Varna, Bulgaria; 55, Marin Drinov Str., 9002 Varna, Bulgaria; E-mail: galina.petrova@mu-varna.bg
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Received: 02 August 2019
Published online: 10 August 2020