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.
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What You Will 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.
Course 3 of 5 in the Integrative Health and Medicine Specialization.
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Herbal Medicines in Healthcare
WEEK 2
Using Botanicals Safely
WEEK 3
How Do Botanical Medicines Work?
WEEK 4
Botanical Medicines for Mental Wellbeing, Women's Health, and Musculoskeletal Pain
WEEK 5
Botanical Medicines for Upper Respiratory and Skin Conditions
Skills Workshop: Final Project
WEEK 6
Botanicals for GERD, GI and Liver Disorders, and UTIs
