Pharmacovigilance on sexual enhancing herbal supplements

Area of Science:

• Pharmacovigilance
• Herbal Medicine Safety
• Public Health

Background:

• Herbal medicine use is rapidly expanding globally, with increasing public interest in natural health products.
• Concerns regarding the safety of herbal supplements are rising due to adverse events and adulteration, exacerbated by weak regulatory measures and informal markets.
• The demand for herbal supplements to improve sexual function, including for erectile dysfunction (ED), has surged worldwide, driven by factors like aging and chronic conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the pharmacovigilance challenges associated with sexual-enhancing herbal supplements.
• To highlight the importance of strengthening regulatory systems and pharmacovigilance principles for these products.
• To advocate for the inclusion of herbal medicines within national pharmacovigilance programs.

Main Methods:

• Review of observed facts and evidence from various countries regarding sexual-enhancing herbal supplements.
• Exploration of pharmacovigilance perspectives on the safety and efficacy concerns of these products.
• Analysis of regulatory gaps and quality control issues in the informal pharmaceutical market for herbal supplements.

Main Results:

• Adulteration of sexual-enhancing herbal supplements is a growing issue, often linked to illegal compositions.
• There is a lack of rigorous testing for safety and efficacy of over-the-counter (OTC) herbal supplements.
• Pharmacovigilance systems for herbal supplements are not well-established, leading to insufficient oversight.

Conclusions:

• Strengthening regulatory systems and implementing robust pharmacovigilance are essential for ensuring the safety of sexual-enhancing herbal supplements.
• Collaboration is needed to address the concerns surrounding these products.
• National pharmacovigilance programs should incorporate herbal medicines to raise awareness and improve oversight, especially for products used to enhance sexual desire.