PHARMACOVIGILANCE OF HERBAL AND TRADITIONAL MEDICINES: IMPORTANCE, CHALLENGES AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES

Herbal and traditional medicines are commonly used globally for health care. However, the safety and efficacy of these products are often not well established, leading to potential adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Pharmacovigilance of herbal medicines is essential to monitor, assess, and prevent such ADRs. This review highlights the importance of herbal pharmacovigilance, current programs and systems including WHO guidelines and the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI), challenges such as under-reporting and lack of standardization, and future perspectives involving digital reporting and integration with healthcare systems. Strengthening herbal pharmacovigilance can ensure safer use of traditional medicines and improve public health outcomes.