Overview

 

• Learn the common side effects of 35 of the top herbs in clinical practice

• Learn the basic principles and problems of drug-herb interactions

• Learn the importance of screening for iatrogenic (doctor-induced) disease when assessing a patient.

• Learn the principles and problems of toxicity of essential oils.

• Learn the principles and problems of working with elders or other patients with frail constitutions.

 

Although harm caused by herbal medicines is uncommon, any herb strong enough to act as a medicine may also have an adverse effect if given for the wrong condition, the wrong patient, in the wrong dose, or at the wrong time. In the modern era, even an otherwise harmless herb may cause harmful interaction with a prescription or over-the-counter drug. In this course you will learn the principles of herbal toxicity and drug-herb interactions, the possible side effects or harms caused by 35 of the most important medicinal herbs, and the toxicology of essential oils. Also included is a section on “the fragile patient” and the need to use gentler herbs in lower doses for elders, children, or patients who are weak. 

 

Materials

With this course you receive 12 audio modules, 50 pages of notes, and 125 pages of supplemental readings. Students enrolled in our courses are also eligible for a 10% discount on purchases at Mountain Rose Herbs.

 

Lessons

Each lesson includes an average or 3 hours of lecture and readings

 

Lesson 1. Introduction to Adverse Effects and Drug-Herb Interactions

Lesson 2. The Milieu of Iatrogenic disease

Lesson 3. The Adverse Effects of Common Herbs I (8 herbs)

Lesson 4. The Adverse Effects of Common herbs II (8 herbs)

Lesson 5. The Adverse Effects of Common Herbs III (9 herbs

Lesson 6. The Adverse Effects of Common Herbs IV (10 herbs)

Lesson 7. The toxicology of essential oils

Lesson 8. The Fragile Patient: Considerations in the Elder patient

 

Enrollment for Credit

To enroll in the course, receive faculty support, and to earn the Continuing Education certificate, follow these steps:

1. Purchase the course materials at our Online Store here. These may be purchased without further enrollment in the course or any tuition payment..

2. When you receive it, open the data disk file, and print out the application form. Send it in with $139 tuition.

3. You will then be assigned a faculty mentor and are entitled to student support and faculty contact for eight weeks after the enrollment is received and you are notified of your faculty contact. Students falling behind may request an extension.

4. Read the instructions for obtaining CE credit in the read-me-first file with the notes.

5. Look over the CE questions and review them before listening to the disks.

6. Complete any assignments or readings and answer the CE questions for each disk.

7. On completion, you will then receive a certificate reflecting 32 hours of CE credit.

 

Faculty

This course was delivered by Paul Bergner at the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism in Boulder, CO in 2010. You can see the faculty bios here.