Education

When HMREC was established 10 years ago it was accepted that successful implementation of evidence-based use of herbal medicines in health care practice required parallel training and education of practitioners and health care professionals in this field. It was recognized that a high level of knowledge on herbal medicines existed and was continuously emerging and that many progressive and active practitioners and health care professionals would want to understand and apply this knowledge in their professional practice. Hence it was decided that the University of Sydney would offer the Master of Herbal Medicines as a postgraduate course of study for those professionals wanting to upgrade and widen their knowledge base for use in their practice or professional interest.

At the same time it was also acknowledged that certain prospective students would only require specific sections of this information, and provision was made for such students to study the course to Diploma or Certificate level.

With the realization that pharmacy graduates, as part of their day to day professional pharmacy practice would come across frequent situations in which a basic understanding of herbal medicines would be required, HMREC provided approximately 20 new lectures on herbal and complementary medicines into the undergraduate pharmacy program. In these lectures students become familiar with the nature of herbal medicinal products (HMPs), the salient differences between these and pharmaceutical drugs, issues of quality, safety and efficacy of HMPs and the regulatory environment controlling their use.

An important decision made with respect to the delivery of the Masters program was that it should be integrative in nature. This integration occurs at the level of complementary and orthodox medicine in health care, and in the integration of Western and Chinese herbal medicine within the overall health care paradigm. It was pleasing to see the recommendation of the TGA Expert Review Committee that the Federal Government should actively support the integration of herbal and complementary medicine within the Australian health care system, with expected improved therapeutic, preventative and cost effectiveness outcomes for future health care needs.

Download a brochure (PDF 510K)