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There are many described uses for ginseng. Due to its antioxidative and potential neuromodulating effects, it has become a popular supplement in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, Huntington disease, and brain ischemia. Additional claimed uses are for its antihypertensive, cardioprotective, and anticancer effects. A systematic review analyzing the efficacy of ginseng regarding unstable angina showed an improvement in the electrocardiogram, frequency, and duration of angina episodes with subsequent nitroglycerin treatment and cholesterol levels. This activity outlines the indications, mechanism of action, dosing, important adverse effects, contraindications, monitoring, and toxicity of ginseng and increases the knowledge of prescribers about how to approach this herbal supplement and all health professionals in how to counsel patients who use it or might want to use it. Objectives: Identify the mechanism of action of ginseng. Review the purported indications for using ginseng. Outline potentially significant drug-drug interactions with ginseng use. Explain the importance of the interprofessional team to enhance the delivery of care for patients taking ginseng who come into medical practice. Access free multiple choice questions on this topic.

More toxicity testing is needed, but studies have shown no acute toxicity with ginseng. Specifically, in experimenting with mice, different doses were administered and showed no genotoxicity or teratogenic effects.[3]

In today's healthcare climate, it is crucial for healthcare providers to have an open discussion with patients about their medication use. Some patients may be supplementing their diets with herbal medications without knowing the side effect profile of the specific drug. Interprofessional healthcare team members should have their patients list all supplements on the medication list and be available to answer any questions that may arise about the risks and benefits of their use. It is also the responsibility of the pharmaceutical companies and the pharmacist to educate patients on herbal supplements and their intended use. This education can be by appropriately labeling over-the-counter medications with side effect profiles and lists of the most common drug class interactions. Education material related to supplements should be available at pharmacies to help patients make informed decisions about which products best suit their needs. Patients should also be instructed to consult their primary care providers before initiating any supplement use. Nurses should also be able to answer questions, and if need be, reach out to a pharmacist to check for interactions with other supplements or medications that patients may be taking. This interprofessional strategy can help to greatly reduce the unintended side effects that can potentially cause harm to patients. [Level 5]