St. John's wort
Can reduce exposure to important drugs and can contribute to serotonin toxicity with serotonergic medicines.
Botanical Medicine: Read, Understand, Apply
Start with high-yield safety and prescribing decisions. Then review the herb atlas, learn one lesson at a time, and answer case-based questions. Written for quick reading on phone or desktop.
12 completed lessons300 linked MCQsFull reference-list indexStudy and exam modesWhat the exam expects you to do
The March 2026 uploaded clinical-sciences reference guide identifies two botanical competencies: (1) evaluate side effects, interactions, contraindications and toxicity; (2) select botanical interventions using pharmacognosy, effects, indications, mechanisms, route of administration and posology/prescribing abbreviations. The whole examination contains stand-alone and case-based questions and tests decisions, not recall alone.
Assessment and diagnosis
30–34% of the whole exam. History, physical examination, clinical reasoning, relevant tests, and evidence.
Modalities
55–59% of the whole exam. Botanical medicine is one of several tested modalities. The guide does not publish a botanical-only percentage.
Critical care / public health
9–13% of the whole exam. Recognize emergencies and public health responsibilities before choosing an adjunct treatment.
Exam blueprint versus course planning: These percentages refer to the overall clinical-sciences exam—not to Course 13. The 12 lessons, 300 questions and review plan are BoardQBank study resources, not an official test specification or prediction.
Seven-step answer strategy
- Recognize danger: unstable vitals, infection, pregnancy complications, poisoning, serious heart/liver/kidney disease or medication interactions.
- Identify the problem: working diagnosis, important differential and treatment already needed.
- Verify the plant: full Latin name, botanical part, source quality and standardized vs crude formulation.
- Identify the traditional action and evidence: a traditional label is not clinical efficacy.
- Check safety: contraindications, pregnancy, age, organ impairment and every prescription/OTC medicine.
- Check the product: route, form, concentration/ratio, NPN where applicable and exact label warnings.
- Choose disposition: defer/avoid, use only as an appropriate adjunct, monitor/reassess and document informed consent.
Start here: common exam traps
Licorice root
Glycyrrhizin can cause hypertension, hypokalemia, edema and arrhythmias.
Comfrey and toxic alkaloids
Unsaturated pyrrolizidine alkaloids may injure the liver. Internal comfrey use is unsafe.
Kava and ashwagandha
Important liver, sedation and medication warnings. Examine the exact product and patient.
Foxglove and monkshood
Potentially fatal cardiac toxins; do not confuse historical use with safe prescribing.
UTI, renal colic, hepatitis
First exclude infection complications, obstruction, liver disease and other red flags; herbs do not replace necessary assessment or standard treatment.
Read the 12 lessons in order
Botanical Pharmacognosy, Identification and Herbal Actions
Identify medicinal plant material, its constituents and the meaning—and limits—of herbal-action terminology.
Growing, Wildcrafting, Harvesting, Drying and Quality Control
Apply the 2017 botanical preparations notes to identification, contamination prevention and safe storage.
Infusions, Decoctions, Powders, Tinctures and Topicals
Choose and compare preparations without treating historic extraction times as universal dosing instructions.
Clinical Formulation, Posology and Documentation
Use the eight-step formulation framework, with evidence, contraindication review and reconciliation of total daily dose.
Adaptogens, Nervines, Sleep and Mood Botanicals
Differentiate traditional tonic classifications from modern clinical evidence and safety.
Digestive, Respiratory and Hepatobiliary Botanicals
Evaluate traditional GI and pulmonary indications while recognizing conventional investigation and referral thresholds.
Cardiovascular, Metabolic and Immune Botanicals
Interpret traditional cardiotonic and immunomodulator categories without replacing proven therapy.
Skin, Wound Care and Anti-inflammatory Botanicals
Evaluate topical herbal use, evidence, contamination and unsafe historical wound remedies.
Reproductive and Endocrine Botanicals
Approach reproductive symptoms with diagnosis, pregnancy screening, and cautious interpretation of historical herb categories.
Toxic Constituents: Alkaloids, Glycosides and Organ Injury
Recognize poisonings, clinically important chemical classes, high-risk botanicals and emergency response.
Herb–Drug Interactions, Contraindications and Patient Safety
Develop systematic interaction screening across CYP enzymes, P-gp, bleeding, metabolic and sedative effects.
Evidence Appraisal, Canadian Regulation and Integrated Cases
Complete the prescribing loop with evidence grading, NPN verification, shared decisions and safe follow-up.
One-week focused review (suggested)
Use these checkboxes to plan your own review. They save only in this browser, not in your student account.
References and limitations
The uploaded March 2026 clinical-sciences guide is the source of exam skills and the botanical-name list. Your uploaded 2017–2019 lectures, herb-action worksheets and case notes supply historical study concepts. Safety updates are separately grounded in NCCIH herb monographs and Health Canada guidance.