"Natural" is not a pharmacology termHerbal products are
drugs — they are absorbed, metabolized, and they bind receptors. In the United States they are regulated as
dietary supplements, so they reach the shelf
without proof of efficacy, safety, or dose accuracy, and potency varies bottle to bottle.
The nursing move: at every medication reconciliation, ask by name — "Any vitamins, herbs, teas, or supplements?" Patients answer "no" to "any other medications?" while taking four of them.
Never tell a patient to simply stop — some herbs (valerian, St. John's wort) cause rebound or withdrawal. Report it, then plan the taper.