A systematic review of randomised clinical trials of individualised herbal medicine

In Postgradiuate Medicine On-Line, a study from Peninsula Medical School, Universities of Exeter & Plymouth, Exeter, UK, shows that systematic searches of electronic databases and contacting experts and professional bodies in the field resulted in the location of only three randomised clinical trials of individualised herbal medicine. It should be stressed that professional bodies representing the interests of different practitioner factions from around the world were unable to contribute any more studies than this. The paucity of data supporting the effectiveness of individualised herbal medicine, and the important safety concerns associated with this particular form of phytomedicine, should be taken into account by policymakers concerned with the regulation of practitioners using this modality.