RH AHG Professional Ethics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An AHG Registered Herbalist receives a gift from a supplement company after recommending their product to several clients. What is the most ethical response?
- Accept the gift as a token of appreciation
- Disclose the gift to clients and evaluate whether to return it (Correct answer)
- Keep the gift but stop recommending that company's products
- Report the company to the AHG ethics board
Correct answer: Disclose the gift to clients and evaluate whether to return it
AHG ethics require transparency about potential conflicts of interest, including gifts from supplement companies that could influence recommendations.
Question 2: A client asks an RH to provide a written letter stating that herbal treatment is a 'medically approved cure' for their condition. The herbalist should:
- Write the letter using general wellness language
- Decline because herbalists cannot make medical cure claims (Correct answer)
- Refer the client to a physician who can write such a letter
- Write the letter with a disclaimer attached
Correct answer: Decline because herbalists cannot make medical cure claims
AHG members must not make or imply medical cure claims, as this exceeds their scope of practice and violates professional ethics.
Question 3: Under AHG ethics guidelines, continuing education is best described as:
- Optional once the RH credential is obtained
- Required only if the herbalist works with seriously ill clients
- An ongoing professional obligation to maintain competency (Correct answer)
- Mandated only by state licensing boards, not AHG
Correct answer: An ongoing professional obligation to maintain competency
AHG ethical standards require RHs to pursue ongoing education to remain current and maintain competency in their practice.
Question 4: When an RH disagrees with a client's choice to discontinue conventional medical treatment in favor of herbal therapy alone, the most ethical action is to:
- Refuse to continue working with the client
- Respect autonomy while clearly explaining the risks and recommending medical collaboration (Correct answer)
- Support the client's decision without comment to preserve the relationship
- Contact the client's physician without the client's consent
Correct answer: Respect autonomy while clearly explaining the risks and recommending medical collaboration
Respecting client autonomy while providing informed guidance and encouraging medical collaboration aligns with AHG ethical practice.
Question 5: Which scenario best illustrates a boundary violation under AHG professional ethics?
- Consulting a medical herbalist colleague about a complex case
- Entering a romantic relationship with a current client (Correct answer)
- Charging a sliding-scale fee based on client income
- Recommending a trusted herb supplier to a client
Correct answer: Entering a romantic relationship with a current client
Romantic relationships with current clients represent a serious boundary violation that exploits the inherent power imbalance in the practitioner-client relationship.
Question 6: An RH sees a client who is also being treated by a naturopathic doctor. Ethically, the RH should:
- Advise the client to choose one practitioner to avoid conflicting advice
- Seek the client's permission to communicate with the naturopath to coordinate care (Correct answer)
- Proceed independently since herbal and naturopathic approaches are compatible
- Document that the client has another provider and take no further action
Correct answer: Seek the client's permission to communicate with the naturopath to coordinate care
Coordinated care with client consent supports safety and reflects collaborative ethics endorsed by AHG.
Question 7: If an RH realizes mid-consultation that a presenting condition is outside their competency, the ethical obligation is to:
- Complete the consultation and research the condition afterward
- Immediately refer the client to an appropriate practitioner (Correct answer)
- Provide general wellness advice and schedule a follow-up
- Ask the client to sign a liability waiver and proceed
Correct answer: Immediately refer the client to an appropriate practitioner
Recognizing and acting on the limits of one's competency by making timely referrals is a core AHG ethical requirement.
RH AHG Professional Ethics 2
An AHG Registered Herbalist receives a gift from a supplement company after recommending their product to several clients.
What is the most ethical response?