Traditional Medication - Conventional Pharmaceutical Drugs

Traditional medication refers to conventional pharmaceutical drugs that are commonly used in medical practice.

Traditional Medication FAQ

What is traditional medicine?

Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the era of modern medicine.

Is traditional medicine a good option?

In an ideal world, traditional medicine would be an option offered by a well-functioning, people-centred health system that balances curative services with preventive care. WHO is halfway through implementing the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014–2023.

Why is traditional medicine important?

Tedros highlighted the value of traditional medicine in preventing and treating non-communicable diseases, improving mental health, and assisting with healthy ageing. “We urge all countries to commit to examining how best to integrate traditional and complementary medicine into their national health systems”, he said.

Is herbal medicine a traditional medicine?

Generally the use of herbal medicine is highly frequent in traditional medicine for the treatment of diseases. However, traditional medicine is a wider area, where the use of animals, fungi, or other components of nature (rocks, minerals, etc.) can also be included for the treatment of conditions or diseases.

What are natural products and traditional medicines?

Natural products and traditional medicines are of great importance. Such forms of medicine as traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, Kampo, traditional Korean medicine, and Unani have been practiced in some areas of the world and have blossomed into orderly-regulated systems of medicine.

What are some examples of folk medicine traditions?

Examples of folk medicine traditions are traditional Chinese medicine, Iranian traditional medicine, traditional Korean medicine, Arabic indigenous medicine, Uyghur traditional medicine, Japanese Kampō medicine, traditional Aboriginal bush medicine, Native Hawaiian Lāʻau lapaʻau, and Georgian folk medicine, among others.

Which countries use traditional medicine?

When adopted outside of its traditional culture, traditional medicine is often referred as “complementary and alternative medicine.” Among others, the most widely used traditional medicine systems today include those of China, India, and Africa. In this chapter, the Chinese, Indian, and African systems of traditional medicine are described.