Published Paper Details:

Demand for herbal pharmaceuticals has increased many folds during last three decades.Ayurveda is popularized by government efforts and large number of herbal practitioners , ethnobotanists and researchers .Researches are promoted for developing and processing of quality herbal preparations and dose standardization Huge quantity of ethnobotanical knowledge exist in india and is in use since ancient times. Any knowledge can perpetuates over such a long time only if it is effective and proved.Also a large number of herbal preparations are available in the market claiming permanent cure and other benefits. Traditional system of Herbal medicines are used on the basis of experiences,religious thoughts, beliefs and culture established during long time.Now a days herbal medicines are available in the market in the form of tablets, capsules and syrup in contrary to use of crude extracts and preparations used by local practitioners and by self at home. It is misleading to believe that all herbal medicines are safe and not associated with any risk.Traditional medicine is the sum total of the knowledge, skills and practices based on the theories, beliefs and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health and in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness(WHO) In order to handle herbal medicines, in particular, to analyse the causes of adverse events, national pharmacovigilance centres (or equivalent institutions) will need to acquire specific technical expertise. This will include trained personnel in relevant technical areas and facilities to analyse the products concerned, for which there is often insufficient information and lack of access to reliable information support. Many countries currently lack this expertise, in particular, access to suitable analytical laboratories. Member States have therefore recommended the establishment of regional laboratories specializing in the analysis of herbal products. WHO encourages Member States to explore the feasibility of this proposal.(WHO guidelines on safety monitoring of herbal medicines in pharmacovigilance system). If the traditional herbs, herbal preparations and practices are used properly with dose and duration characterizations these can be highly beneficial The present paper is aimed to discuss safety concerns, challenges and future perspectives. How the people get cured using crude herbal preparations at home.What are the drawbacks and advantages of using herbal pharmaceuticals