Production, marketing and consumption of herbal drugs in Estonia

The aim of the present study was to map and gain knowledge on the current status of the production, marketing and consumption of herbal drugs in Estonia. To accomplish this goal, we collected data from herbal farms, wholesalers, health stores and consumers. Our study revealed that the Estonian farms produce annually about 14,000 kg of herbal drugs, which are mainly marketed via community pharmacies. The most widely used herbs for medicinal purposes were Chamomillae flos, Lini semen, Rosae fructus, Carum carvi semen, and Cetraria islandica. According to the wholesale data total 650,000 packages (20,000 kg) of herbal drugs were purchased annually from community pharmacies. 80 % of the herbal drugs were of Estonian origin and 20 % imported. The sales ratio between herbal blends and single herbal drugs was 1:3. Our calculations show that one Estonian inhabitant uses an average of 10 g of herbal drugs, purchased from community pharmacy, every year. Our study also revealed that herbal blends were primarily used for general well-being and mood (27 %), for the treatment of common cold (17 %), for energy and organism stimulation (12 %), for calming, stress and sleep (11 %), and for mild gastrointestinal disorders (7 %). The most popular herbal drugs supplied by grocery and health stores were Chamomillae flos, Menthae folium, Tiliae flos, Foeniculi fructus and Calendulae flos. Perhaps surprisingly, total 1.1 million packages of herbal drugs were purchased annually from community pharmacies (representing 57 % of all packages) and from grocery and health stores (43 %). This means that one Estonian inhabitant uses an average of 20 cups of herbal tea altogether every year. Our survey about the consumption habits of herbal drugs showed that total 88 % of the respondents used herbal drugs occasionally, and approximately 31 % of them even on the weekly basis for common cold, gastrointestinal disorders and various mild inflammations. In conclusion, traditional herbal drugs have still an important role in the self-medication of common diseases in Estonia, thus supporting the contemporary pharmaceutical care.