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Programs & Services

The American Botanical Council’s vision is that the public makes educated, responsible choices about herbal medicine as an accepted part of healthcare. ABC supports this vision through its mission to provide science-based and traditional information to promote the responsible use of herbal medicine. ABC serves all populations interested in herbal medicine: the general public, healthcare professionals, researchers, educators, industry, media and government. Consequently, ABC offers a wide variety of programs and services to fulfill its mission and meet the needs of those it serves. While many of the programs and services are available to the general public, some are a benefit of membership in ABC. To learn more about membership or to join, click here.

Internships & Continuing Education

In 1996 ABC began developing Continuing Education (CE) modules designed specifically to teach healthcare professionals about the science supporting the safe and efficacious use of medicinal plants commonly used in herbal supplements. Since that time ABC has expanded its education program to include internships and continuing education modules for more than just healthcare professionals.

Internships

ABC currently offers internships for pharmacy, dietetic, botany, horticulture, journalism and marketing students. The primary goal of the internship program is to provide education to university students and others about herbal medicine and its present and potential future role in today’s society. ABC currently offers a six-week Pharmacy Internship Program for PharmD students through the University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy, an eight- or 12-day, hybrid rotation program for post-baccalaureate dietetic students through Texas State University-San Marcos, and a six-day rotation for community nutrition undergraduates at the University of Texas at Austin. The program introduces students to the scientific literature on therapeutic benefits and potential risks of herbs and phytomedicines in order to incorporate this knowledge into their professional practice. The internship program can be adapted to additional areas of study for healthcare professionals. COVID-19 Notice: Due to the novel Coronavirus, ABC internships are on hold as of March 2020 and the curricula are being adapted to provide a hybrid experience which will be adaptable to both offsite and onsite experiences.   
Apply     Inquiries

The ABC Clinical Guide to Herbs

This in-depth, therapeutic guide and reference book is a comprehensive review of 30 of the most commonly used herbs in the United States and 13 proprietary products and their relevance to modern medicine. In 2003, when it was published, continuing education (CE) credit was available for doctors, pharmacists, nurses, dietitians and naturopaths. This book is now available as a benefit of membership to ABC members. more info

Other Educational Programs & Services

HerbStreamTM Online Content Licensing Program. ABC licenses herbal medicine information for use on health-based Internet and intranet websites. more info

Adopt-An-Herb in ABC’s HerbMedPro database supporting ABC and ensuring information on your adopted herb is current and available.  more info

Speakers Bureau  Seminars, presentations, workshops. ABC staff members are available to speak on a variety of herb-related topics. For more information contact ABC's Speakers Bureau.

Onsite tours  ABC offers tours of its facility including information about the Case Mill Homestead, the medicinal plant gardens, the rainwater harvesting system, and ABC's mission and goals. COVID-19 Notice: As of March 2020, ABC is not offering onsite tours until the pandemic is past.
more info

Media Education Program  ABC responds to inaccuracies and misrepresentations in the media and provides proactive, science-based information about herbal medicine through press releases, articles and media interviews. After the December 2006 release of a study in Annals of Internal Medicine which reported that black cohosh was no more effective than a placebo in relieving hot flashes in menopausal women, Mark Blumenthal was interviewed numerous times and cited in articles appearing in USA Today and Reuters; he was effective in getting the message out to media that the trial was not definitive, and that existing evidence show that black cohosh is effective for treating menopause symptoms.

Respect from the media for ABC’s independent perspective and reliable information continues to grow. Mr. Blumenthal recently taped a segment to appear on Discovery Channel and Herbs for Health published a profile on ABC’s own Herb Cowboy. In February 2007, the Boston Globe called The ABC Clinical Guide to Herbs a ‘must-have resource’, and ABC’s website has been cited as a thorough, accurate and independent source for information on herbal medicine. For more information or to underwrite this program, contact ABC's Development Department.

Publications & Publishing Services

Periodicals

This peer-reviewed, quarterly journal may be ABC's most visible and important vehicle to increase public awareness and professional knowledge about medicinal herbs. HerbalGram features articles, research reviews, conference reports, and book reviews on medicinal plants, the history of their use, ethnobotanical and modern clinical research, and legal and regulatory developments regarding the marketing and sale of medicinal plant products. HerbalGram is also available on ABC’s website. Submit Articles

provides summaries and critical reviews of seminal articles covering research, regulation, marketing and responsible use of medicinal plants. Published twice monthly, each issue contains 14 articles drawn from a wide variety of newsletters, scientific journals, government documents, and special reports. Available in paper and electronic versions; the paper version includes the original articles when permission has been granted. The entire database of more than 3,000 HerbClips is available online.
a monthly electronic publication, updates members on various topics including Latest News, Media Watch and Upcoming Events. Past issues are available to the public on the ABC website.

 

Books 

The following ABC publications and a variety of other herbal medicine related publications are available online only as benefits of membership in the organization.

A Handbook of the Morphology of Botanicals in Commerce. The first step in quality control of botanical preparations is ensuring the correct identify of the plant intended for use. This manual describes morphological characteristics that can be observed with a hand lens or dissecting microscope. It features 113 botanical entries covering more than 150 different species of botanicals in commerce, plus 87 detailed black-and-white line drawings. It also contains a brief review of basic plant structure, some practical advice on identification, an introduction to botanical nomenclature, a glossary, a reference list, and an index. Available to ABC members at the Professional level and above.
This in-depth, therapeutic guide and reference book is a comprehensive review of 30 of the most commonly used herbs in the United States and 13 proprietary products, and their relevance to modern medicine. The book in its entirety is available to ABC members at the Professional level and above.
is an updated reference of 107 of the most popular herbs in the US based on the original Commission E translation. It includes expanded sections on chemistry and pharmacology, more information on dosage and administration, extensive references, and full color photos.  Sample monographs are available to the public, while access to the complete database is reserved for ABC members at the Academic level and above.
is ABC’s English translation of the monographs produced by an expert committee formed by the German government to evaluate the safety and efficacy of more than 300 herbs and herb combinations.  It includes: 380 Monographs, 190 Herbs and Fixed Combinations approved for therapeutic use, 150 Indications, Glossary of anatomical, botanical, medical, pharmaceutical, and technical terms; Common, Latin, Pharmacopeial, and Therapeutic indexes for Uses & Indications, Contraindications, Side Effects, and Pharmacological Actions. The book is out of print but sample monographs are available to the public, while access to the complete book is reserved for ABC members at the Academic level and above.

Website 
ABC’s extensive website (herbalgram.org) offers a broad array of information and resources. Many areas are available to the public but much of the content is members-only access.

 

Publishing Services

Content Development 
Periodically, ABC develops medicinal plant-related content for other organizations, including Third Party Literature as specified by the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994. To inquire about this service, contact ABC's Development Department. 
 
Publishing Services 
ABC considers it part of its educational mission to make certain books and other publications available to the public if the topic is within its purview and as resources permit. To inquire about this service, contact ABC's Development Department.
 
Reprint Requests 
ABC has sole responsibility for the reprinting of hard copies of articles that it has published.  ABC accepts requests to reprint or excerpt materials that will appear in another publication. ABC also accepts requests for large quantity (minimum 500) reprints of individual articles. These stand-alone reprints will be reproduced by ABC in black and white or color. The reprint will appear as a publication of ABC and will follow guidelines of "third party literature" as defined in section 5 of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994. Company names cannot appear on these reprints. Reprints may contain information about ABC including membership. To request or inquire about reprints, contact ABC's Reprint Request Department.