Depression treatment in the United States has been getting a bad name in a number of quarters recently. Patients who responded to Caredata.com's 1999 Commercial Health Plan Survey, for example, ranked treatment of depression as one of the most poorly rated of the 27 conditions studied. Of those respondents, 20% rated their depression care as "not adequate," and another 38% said it was only "adequate." Of the 74 health plans ... Read More

Historically, St. John’s wort has been used as an herbal remedy for depression, anxiety, diuresis, gastritis and insomnia. Recent studies demonstrate that the extract, primarily hypericin, is a strong, and nearly irreversible, inhibitor of monoamine oxidase types A and B. Patient Presentation and History JS is a 37-year-old female who comes to the pharmacy intending to purchase St. John’s wort. She has heard that it can relieve depression, and she firmly believes ... Read More