Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Utilization by Howard University (HU) First Year Pharmacy Students: Survey and Review of Most Commonly Used Herbs

An electronic questionnaire was utilized to conduct a survey on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among first year Howard University pharmacy students. 36 out of 49 completed the questionnaire for a response rate of 73.5%. 21 (58.3%) reported having used herbs or other supplements in the past 5 years with cranberry, garlic, ginger and ginseng topping the list. Prayer (48%) and Yoga (32%) were the most commonly utilized non-herbal CAM modalities. Our finding is consistent with other studies, including one by the same authors, that CAM is a widely practiced modality in diverse segments of the US population.