There is strong demand for alternatives to pharmaceuticals for a variety of common illnesses due to concerns of safety, efficacy, and a desire for more “natural” products. Despite this growing interest, “conventional” healthcare providers may have little to no knowledge about herbal medicines, which is further compounded by the sometimes misleading information in the media and on the internet. This course provides the necessary background for providers to begin to incorporate herbal medicines into their practice, particularly in regards to their therapeutic properties, efficacy (or lack thereof), and safety concerns, including quality control and potential adverse effects.



Herbal Medicine
This course is part of Integrative Health and Medicine Specialization

Instructor: Amy Taylor, MD
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(819 reviews)
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What you'll learn
Discuss the role of herbal medicines in healthcare overall as well as your potential role.
Discuss overall botanical actions and methods for creating botanical preparations.
Assess patients, including potential for herb-drug interactions and other potential contraindications and considerations for special populations.
Educate patients on quality control and safety issues.
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There are 7 modules in this course
This module covers essential knowledge that ensures you are starting with a clear understanding of what herbal medicine is, how it is regulated, and why botanical medicine can be challenging to research. This will set you up for success as you move forward in the course and apply it to your professional life.
What's included
11 videos5 readings1 assignment2 discussion prompts
Now that you’ve gotten an overview of the field of herbal medicine, we’ll identify some important cautions to keep in mind when using botanicals, including contaminants, herb-drug interactions, product quality measures, and safety guidelines. By the end of this week you’ll be equipped with the skills you need to identify quality products and assess if a patient is a good candidate for botanicals.
What's included
5 videos6 readings4 assignments1 discussion prompt
In this module we’ll be taking a deeper look at how botanical medicines work. What is an adaptogen? When should you recommend a carminative? How do you make a botanical preparation? You’ll also have the chance to discuss with your peers about the potential impact on healthcare systems if more patients knew how to make botanical preparations.
What's included
9 videos3 readings2 assignments1 discussion prompt
In this module we’ll discuss botanicals that can help manage symptoms related to mental health, women’s health, and musculoskeletal pain. You’ll get some handy reference sheets that you can use for quick access to information on uses and precautions, and we’ll identify the level of evidence for each botanical in the research guides.
What's included
7 videos12 readings2 assignments1 discussion prompt
In this module we’ll explore botanicals that can be used for upper respiratory and skin conditions. You will also continue to learn how to assess, educate, and advise patients on botanicals from a real-life scenario.
What's included
3 videos7 readings1 assignment
What's included
1 video1 reading1 peer review
In this module we will discuss botanicals that can help manage symptoms related to GERD, GI and liver disorders, and UTIs.
What's included
5 videos9 readings2 assignments1 discussion prompt
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Reviewed on Sep 16, 2020
I'm glad to be a part of this course. As it changed my entire perspective about utilizing botanicals. And I have learned that which type of data should be searched about to gather information.
Reviewed on May 3, 2021
am very happy for taking this course ,i increaed my information and know alot about herbals and when we can use it, i think this course will benefit me in future
Reviewed on Apr 1, 2019
Very good course and it suits for everyone who likes herbal medicine.The instructor and a presentation doing very well for a course.I really like it and will keep going on for my botanical approach.
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