Herbal medicines are derived from traditional medicines used by populations around the world. Safety and efficacy of herbal medicines are closely tied to the quality of ingredients, which has been the main concern for health authorities and the public. As a global, quality standard-setting organization, USP plays a unique role in the safety and quality of herbal medicines by helping ensure identity, strength, quality, and purity.
Herbal Medicines Compendium
Public standards are critically important to help ensure the quality of all medicines, including herbal medicines. The Herbal Medicines Compendium (HMC), published by USP, is a freely available, online resource that provides standards for botanical ingredients used in traditional herbal medicines throughout the world.
Supporting the quality of cannabis for medical use
Despite herbal medicine not being a regulatory category in the United States, it’s important to have consistent characterization of cannabis for medical use, which can protect public health by helping regulators and manufacturers ensure quality and promote sound scientific and clinical research.
Standards Development
Participate in standards development by contributing materials, methods and related information to support USP’s monographs or General Chapters and their supporting Reference Standards. Learn about the standards development process, and which standards are currently in the pipeline.
Find Reference Standards
Visit the USP store to search through and purchase Reference Standards for herbal medicines.