Phytotherapy in primary health care

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Policy
• Ethnobotany

Background:

• Phytotherapy, the use of medicinal plants for treatment, has a long history in Brazil.
• Its integration into primary health care (PHC) within the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) is a growing area of interest.
• Understanding the scope and impact of these integration efforts is crucial for health policy development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the integration of phytotherapy into primary health care in Brazil.
• To analyze the actions, programs, acceptance, and use of phytotherapy and medicinal plants within the SUS.
• To assess trends in scientific production related to phytotherapy in Brazilian primary care.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases (SciELO, Lilacs, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Theses Portal Capes) from January 1988 to March 2013.
• Analysis of 53 original studies focusing on phytotherapy actions, programs, acceptance, and use in the SUS.
• Bibliometric analysis and examination of study characteristics, including objectives, actions, settings, participants, and study focus.

Main Results:

• Scientific publications on phytotherapy in primary care showed an increase between 2003 and 2013 compared to the 1990-2002 period.
• Programs integrating phytotherapy into PHC aimed to provide additional treatment options, reduce costs, revive traditional knowledge, preserve biodiversity, promote social development, and stimulate inter-sectorial actions.
• Despite a small overall increase in scientific production over 25 years, integration efforts were diverse.

Conclusions:

• The integration of phytotherapy into primary health care services in Brazil has seen a modest increase in scientific output over the past 25 years.
• Incorporating phytotherapy fosters greater interaction between healthcare users and professionals.
• This integration aids in the socialization of scientific research and promotes a critical understanding of phytotherapy and plant medicine among both professionals and the general population.