Despite the fact that each patient is unique, there may be differences in the reasons of their symptoms. When attempting to identify the underlying reasons of sickness, a herbalist finds great value in taking a comprehensive health history and paying close attention to a client's diet, lifestyle, mental state, and spiritual practices. Books are a terrific source of information, but in-person conversations are priceless.
Each state in the union is responsible for creating and enforcing legislation pertaining to medical practice.
Herbal medicine is neither formally licensed or certified, nor is it subject to any official norms or regulations.
In the United States, it is illegal to practice medicine without a medical license, and herbalists are not officially licensed. The only people who can diagnose or treat medical conditions, give medical advice, or write prescriptions for medication are licensed physicians.
An herbal school may offer a certificate of completion upon training completion, attesting to the fact that the training was completed under the guidance of the institution. Find out more about "certification" for herbs here.
The diagnosis and prescription of medical illnesses can only be made by licensed physicians. However, the First Amendment of the U.S. Education is one of the speech rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Thus, after obtaining a thorough medical history, a herbalist could inform the patient on potential lifestyle changes that could enhance their well-being.
The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act makes no mention of the FDA's need to "approve" dietary supplements for efficacy or safety prior to their distribution to consumers. The manufacturer does not require FDA approval in order to sell dietary supplements; instead, it is their responsibility to ensure that the supplements are safe and to present sufficient evidence to support any claims made about them.
