Polypharmacy of Alternative and Herbal Medications

Although ‘‘alternative’’ or natural medications have been used for centuries (1), their popularity has been increasing dramatically over the last few years (2-5). The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has recognized that up to 25% of people in the United States seek and obtain nontraditional treatments (6), representing an enormous market for the nutraceutical industry and a potential new field for academic and pharmaceutical research.