ABSTRACT
All the Chinese patent medicines (CPMs) containing raw and processed products of Polygoni Multiflori Radix (PMR) in Chinese Pharmacopoeia and Drug Standard of Ministry of Public Health of the Peoples Republic of China were inquired and adverse drug reactions of the CPMs were searched in CNKI. And then a systematic analysis about adverse drug reactions accroding to processing, compatibility, and indication was conducted by statistical approach. The CPMs with adverse drug reactions were composed of 13 preparations containing raw products of PMR and 37 processed products containing processed products of PMR. The common adverse drug reactions of preparations containing raw products of PMR were gastrointestinal reaction, dry mouth, liver damage, allergic reactions, and palpitations, and these reactions mostly happened when these preparations were used in the treatment of hyperlipidemia and coronary heart disease. The common adverse drug reactions of preparations containing processed products of PMR were liver damage, gastrointestinal reaction, and allergic reactions, and these reactions mostly happened when these preparations were used in the treatment of white hair, hair loss, alopecia areata, weakness, anemia, coronary heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease. There was a certain negative correlation between number of herbs and incidence of adverse reaction. To sum up, incidence of adverse reactions of CPMs containing raw and processed products of PMR is high, but still lacks a clear evidence of the association between adverse reaction of preparations and the toxicity of PMR. A systematic research on the safety of CPM included PMR is needed.