Objective:

To identify natural health product (NHP) and conventional medicine combinations used by respondents in New Zealand and assess the potential for adverse interactions, highlighting the implications for public health.

Key Findings:

• 71.1% of NHP users in New Zealand were concurrently using conventional medicines, with specific combinations identified that may cause adverse reactions.
• Natural health product-drug combinations with potential adverse reactions were identified, including examples such as hepatotoxicity and increased bleeding risk.
• Approximately one-third of NHPs could not be coded using WHODrug, highlighting the need for a standardized coding dictionary.

Interpretation:

The high prevalence of concurrent use of NHPs and conventional medicines raises concerns about potential adverse drug reactions, necessitating improved monitoring and coding systems for NHPs, particularly for healthcare providers.

Limitations:

• Challenges in coding NHPs limited the analysis of certain products, potentially affecting the comprehensiveness of the findings.
• Self-reported data may introduce bias or inaccuracies in reporting NHP and medication use, which could impact the reliability of the results.

Conclusion:

The study underscores the importance of monitoring NHP use alongside conventional medicines to safeguard public health and emphasizes the need for a standardized coding system for NHPs, as well as consumer education on safe practices.