What is the Prevalence of Use of Herbal Medicine When Compared to Prescribed Medications in Diabetic Patients at Enmore Polyclinic?

Objective: To investigative the prevalence of herbal products used among Diabetic patients of Enmore Polyclinic and correlate with socio - demographic data and to find out the various types of herbal medicines used.

Methods: A cross sectional study conducted at Enmore Polyclinic from April to June, 2019. Data were collected using a preset data collection sheet and analyzed using Microsoft Excel.

Results: From a sample size of three hundred and eleven (311) participants, two hundred and thirty (230) - 74.2% used herbal medicine to control Diabetes; which was used predominantly by females. East Indians used more herbal products. The 51 – 60 years age group recorded the highest use of herbal medicine, with corilla being the most widely used herbal product was corilla.

Conclusion: The Use of Herbal Medicine in the control of Diabetic patients at Enmore Polyclinic is similar to that of the United States and Dubai, but slightly higher than that of tropical Sub-Saharan Africa and Trinidad.

Recommendation: Similar studies should be carried out in other areas of Guyana so as to ascertain the country’s prevalence of the use of Herbal Medicine in the control of Diabetes. Additionally, the adherence to prescribed medication should be enforced: while the effects of these herbal products should be investigated.