Herbal Medicine Today: Clinical and Research Issues

Firenzuoli, F., & Gori, L. (2007). Herbal medicine today: clinical and research issues. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine: eCAM, 4(Suppl1), 37–40. Retrieved from doi: 10.1093/ecam/nem096

This is a study of the complicated aspects of herbal research. The study founds that most traditional medicines have a foundation in magical or religious beliefs.  The article argues that relying on tradition is contradicting scientific attitudes, therefore, explanatory and pragmatic studies are needed in the acquisition of reliable data.  The review demands research on both herbal medicines and traditional procedure-based therapies.  In order to achieve this, the article highlights the concepts of efficacy and effectiveness.  Efficacy is defined as the benefit a treatment produces under ideal conditions, while effectiveness defines as the benefit the treatment produces in cumulative clinical practice.  Pragmatic studies are needed in order to examine how effective a treatment is, while explanatory trials are appropriate to asses whether a treatment has any efficacy.  The authors concluded that a world-wide pharmacological assessment needs to be done to clarify the safety of natural-derived substances.  According to the website of Integrative Medicine Florence (n.d.), the authors are academically qualified experts in herbal medicine.  Their target would be primarily medical researchers and clinician examiners but also medical students and the general public.  The study is relevant because it discusses approaches to enhance herbal research methodology.

Risks or Remedies? Safety Aspects of Herbal Remedies in the UK.

Shaw, D. (1998) Risks or remedies? safety aspects of herbal remedies in the UK.  Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 91, 294-296. Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1296770/pdf/jrsocmed00024-0008.pdf

This is a study about the safety of herbal medicine written by Dr. Debbie Shaw.  According to the Uppsala Monitoring Centre website (2008), the author is a Senior Research Scientist at the National Health Service Foundation Trust in London. This study was published by the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine in 1998.  The study discusses how the safety of herbal medicine is not only bound to quality, but also to usage by consumers, which are categorized as follows: first, use of incorrect herbs; second, delay in getting medical advice for patients who might develop a serious condition; third, the belief by some consumers that natural supplements are healthy; fourth, adulteration of the herbal medicine preparation.  The study is relevant, because the implications of herbal medicine, particularly its safety, is a global issue. The article refers to statistics from the World the Health Organization (WHO) and other major related institutions.  The intended audience would be medical students, the public, clinicians and regulators. The study concludes that there is a lack of communication and information with regards to herbal safety at the global level. The author suggests launching an independent information source combining safety and efficacy data which could be achieved through an adverse reaction monitoring system to be funded by medical and herbal practitioners.  Regardless of having been written almost two decades ago, the main ideas are still relevant and the article includes sufficient sources for further information.