As of 30 April 2011, an EU Directive on traditional herbal medicinal products will come fully into force in the UK,1 making it illegal for manufacturers, wholesalers and importers to sell unlicensed herbal medicines either to retailers or directly to consumers.1 This, and other recent changes, will have major implications for how herbal medicines are regarded by healthcare professionals.

The Directive states that no traditional herbal medicinal product shall be placed on the market, or be distributed by way of ‘wholesale dealing’, unless a traditional herbal registration (THR) has been granted by the licensing authority.1 ‘Herbal …