The sizzling herbal and TCM market with focus on the hot issues

International Conference and Exhibition on Traditional & Alternative Medicine

December 09-11, 2013 Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel, Hyderabad, India

Mohammed R. Khan

Keynote: Altern Integ Med

Abstract :

Recent times have seen phenomenal growth in the global herbal market. From a 1994 market estimate of $655 million, it has now grown to around $100 billion per year. And based on a WHO projection, global herbal market will reach the $5 trillion mark by 2050! So, what is behind this magical sales growth? Well, the pervading sense of skepticism about modern medicine within society, the not uncommon belief that conventional medicines are ?unnatural? substances and the feeling that ?natural substances help the body build on its own resistance?, combined with the motivation to try herbals through a misconception that these are inherently safe, seem to be supporting the phenomenal growth of herbals and TCMs sales. This in turn is leading to growing evidence of herb-drug interactions, and the potential to significantly alter clinical laboratory test results. Adulteration and contamination of herbals and TCMs with harmful levels of heavy metals and undeclared pharmaceuticals such as steroids, NSAIDs, benzodiazepines, paracetamol and PDE-5 inhibitors, to name a few, is time and again reported in print media. These and other safety and quality related issues warrant that while effective regulations should be in place internationally to curb the menace, compliance must be enforced at all levels combined with effective surveillance systems to prevent appearance of adulterated and defective products on the market.