PREPARED HERBAL MEDICINES: A THERAPEUTIC OPTION IN PRIMARY CARE

Introduction and Objective: The Pharmacy Service of Raphael de Paula Souza Hospital had tradition in the handling of herbal and allopathic medicines, featuring a garden to supply of vegetable raw material for the production of those drugs. Upon closing of the garden in 1991, the demand for tincture began to be supplied with the acquisition of private companies. With the implementation of "Alternative Medicine Program" of Rio de Janeiro's City Hall in 2000 and the inauguration of the garden of medicinal plants in the Model Farm, the production of herbal medicines was resumed covering the entire production process, ensuring the safety, efficacy and the quality of the produced medicinal products. With the approval of the National Policy of Medicinal Plants and Herbal Medicines in June 2006 actions were taken to meet one of his guiding principles: "expansion of treatment options and improving health care to users of the Unified Health System - UHS." Method: With the strengthening of production in August 2014, the distribution of manipulated herbal medicines has been expanded to the Primary Health Care Network, involving prescribers and other professionals who work in Integrative and Complementary Practices, with the approval of the use of protocols. Results and Conclusions: It was found that these 15 years of experience with Pharmacy Herbal there was a gradual accession of professionals prescribing herbal medicines, providing the user of Primary Care Health Network another treatment option for elementary pathologies. In 2015, they were produced and handled more than 36,000 herbal medicines.