Abstract:

Quality control directly impacts the safety and efficacy of herbal medicinal products.
Good agricultural and collection practices for medicinal plants is only the first step in
quality assurance, on which the safety and efficacy of herbal medicinal products directly
depend upon, and will also play an important role in the protection of natural resources
of medicinal plants for sustainable use.

The WHO guidelines on good agricultural and
collection practices (GACP) for medicinal plants are primarily intended to provide general
technical guidance on obtaining medicinal plant materials of good quality for the
sustainable production of herbal products classified as medicines. They apply to the
cultivation and collection of medicinal plants, including certain post-harvest operations.
Raw medicinal plant materials should meet all applicable national and/or regional
quality standards. The guidelines therefore may need to be adjusted according to each
country’s situation.