#3 Navigating the plant names jungle – Bob Allkin

Send us a voicemail!Herbal substances can be found in a number of pharmaceutical drugs, cosmetics and food supplements – so it's not surprising that using plant names inconsistently can have serious health consequences. But with so much confusion around medicinal plant names, it’s easy to get it wrong. Bob Allkin from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew explains what we can do about it.Tune in to find out:How common, scientific and pharmaceutical plant names differHow Kew’s Medicinal Plant Names Services worksHow healthcare and pharmacovigilance professionals working with herbal medicines can avoid mistakesWant to know more?Here are a few resources to get you started:Bob Allkin discusses the regulation of medicinal plant names in UMC’s magazine Uppsala ReportsKew’s “State of the World’s Plants 2017” report includes a chapter on use and regulation of medicinal plants around the worldThese are the most common mistakes when using plant names – and how to avoid themIDMP standards improve the description of medicinal products worldwideKew’s Medicinal Plant Names Services is freely accessible online – start browsing!Got a story to share?We’re always looking for new topics and interesting voices. If you have an idea or any other feedback for the show, get in touch!About UMCUppsala Monitoring Centre promotes safer use of medicines and vaccines for everyone everywhere. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, and Bluesky.