Variations in product choices of frequently purchased herbs: caveat emptor.

Background: Patients who report use of herbs to their physicians may not be able to accurately describe the ingredients or recommended dosage because the products for the same herb may differ. The purpose of this study was to describe variations in label information of products for each of the 10 most commonly purchased herbs.

Methods: Products for each of 10 herbs were surveyed in a convenience sample of 20 retail stores in a large metropolitan area.