Status of reports of adverse events related to botanical herbal medicines with toxic precautions officially managed by Korean government: A descriptive analysis from WHO VigiAccess

Abstract

Objectives: This study was aimed to review the global status of adverse event (AE) reports and the characteristics of the reported AEs of plants managed as herbal medicines (HMs) with toxic precautions in Korea.Methods: This is a cross-sectional quantitative study that analyzed information available through VigiAccess, a website that provides summarized statistical information from the WHO's global AE database to the public. VigiAccess was searched in 8 Jan, 2024. Information on the total number of reports, number of reports by year and continent, and the age and gender of patients were obtained, and the types of frequently reported AEs were also reviewed.Results: Data on the status of report submissions were obtained for a total of 9 HMs including Aconitum ciliare, Aconitum carmichaeli, Arisaema japonicum, Pinellia ternata, Euphorbiae Lathyridis, Croton tiglium, Strychni Ignatii, Strychnons nux-vomica, and Linum usitatissimum. The number of reports per HM was from 1 to 137. The most commonly reported type of AEs were gastrointestinal disorders in most of the HMs, followed by neurological disorders. Serious adverse events were reported only in Strychni Ignatii, Strychnons nux-vomica, and Linum usitatissimum, including one case of death.Conclusions: This study shows the status of reported AEs of botanicals considered as HMs with toxic precautions in Korea based on real world data. However, when interpreting the findings of this study, readers should consider the significant limitations of this study mainly because of the characteristics of the data source.