Rosari Kingston, medical herbalist, believes integrated practices give patients great confidence as the therapists have been vetted by the GP
My work varies depending on the day. On Mondays, I work on the herbs I grow - planting, harvesting and making them into herbal medicines. Then for two and a half days in the week, I work from my own clinic in Church Cross, Skibbereen and I spend one day every week working from an integrated practice in Clonakilty, Co Cork.
This practice, which is run by a GP, also has two homeopaths, a psychotherapist and a cranio sacral therapist working there.
Integrated practices give patients great confidence in that they know the therapists have been vetted by the GP. It also means patients are not afraid to say they used complementary therapies and can be referred to an appropriate practitioner depending on their condition.
On clinic days I spend the first hour or so making up the herbal prescriptions for patients who have run out of medicine. These could be for the menopause, asthma, hypo or hyperactive thyroid, or skin conditions such as eczema or acne.
Generally speaking, I see a new patient for about one and a half hours and return patients for about 45 minutes. A consultation with a medical herbalist is similar to that with a GP in that a medical herbalist takes a case history, examines the patient, makes a diagnosis and writes a prescription. The case history is very detailed as this enables me to establish the constitutional type of the patient. Some people are constitutionally very hot and others may be cold. This extra information is necessary so that the patient's prescription can be made up to suit their constitution.
As well as doing a physical examination, I check the patient's blood pressure, tongue and pulses. Sometimes, I recommend tests to be carried out by GPs and quite often I ask for a full blood profile.
I am always very aware of possible herb/drug interactions and this is an area where we have to be continuously vigilant. As a member of the Irish Institute of Medical Herbalists, I am obliged to undertake continuous professional development and part of my working day at present is taken up with a research dissertation on Hawthorn.
I see patients with all kinds of conditions but common ones are skin conditions, menopausal problems, polycystic ovary syndrome, infertility, rheumatism and arthritis. With cancer patients, I will choose herbs that will help their chemotherapy work best while also reducing the side effects.
Meeting patients is the most fulfilling part of my job while record-keeping, although essential, is the most frustrating part. I also enjoyed contributing with two of my colleagues in the Irish Institute of Medical Herbalists to the development of the new four-year herbal science degree which has just started at the Cork Institute of Technology.
As well as enabling people to train in Ireland, this will boost research into herbs. It will also help the public realise that members of the institute are highly trained in conventional medical science as well as herbal therapeutics. Being a member of the Irish Institute of Medical Herbalists also gives patients and GPs confidence in that they know that I am part of a professional organisation that is committed to raising standards and developing research. I believe this course will underpin the development of herbal medicine in this country. I also believe there are tremendous opportunities for GPs and herbalists to work together for the benefit of patients.
By working together, we can give the patient choice as well as develop a health prescription modality which can offer patients treatments with fewer side effects.