Published Paper Details:

Diabetes mellitus (DM) poses a significant global health challenge in the 21st century, often leading to the development of complications in affected individuals. Complementary alternative medicine (CAM), including herbal medicine (HM), is frequently utilized by diabetes patients alongside allopathic treatments. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of concomitant use of conventional and herbal medicines among patients in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted both online and offline, targeting patients aged 15 years and above. The findings from 129 participants revealed that approximately 53% of the respondents engaged in the combined consumption of HM and allopathic medicines, often influenced by information obtained from family, friends, and social media. Alarmingly, around 13% of participants did not perceive the importance of informing their healthcare providers about their herbal medicine use alongside conventional treatments. These findings emphasize the need for increased awareness and communication regarding concomitant use of herbal and allopathic medicines to ensure patient safety and optimize healthcare outcomes in diabetes management.