By Hannah Thomas-Peter
Medical herbalists across the country are campaigning to force the Government to regulate their industry.
They say if they do not get independent statutory regulation, a new law is set to limit their access to medicines and force many of them out of business.
Herbalist Paula Grainger has a degree in the subject, and she has been a member of the industry's National Institute for years.
But she says the lack of regulation means the profession is being exploited by cowboy practitioners with little or no qualifications to do the job.
"In theory anyone walking along the street right now could say 'I'm a herbalist'," she told Sky News.
"There is actually nothing in law at the moment that would prevent anyone from taking on that title and practising."
Herbalists are worried about a new EU directive coming in to force next year that will drastically reduce their ability to work unless they are deemed "authorised healthcare professionals".
European Herbal and Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association (EHTPA) Chairman Michael McIntyre says the only way to get this title is for the Government to decide who can and can't work as a herbalist according to set rules.
He said: "What we're asking for is that our training and our standards are recognised.
"After all the Government did it for the osteopaths and chiropractors, why not for acupuncturists and herbalists?"
Herbal medicine patient Danielle Bonati supports regulation. She says her treatment for Graves' disease changed her life, and it should be easier to work out which herbalists are properly qualified.
"Within one month I had blood tests and my results were getting better and better. All three specialists I went to see said I would never go in to remission and I did, in six months, which was amazing."
Although around 3,000 herbalists work in the UK at the moment, there is widespread dispute about how effective many of their remedies are.
Critics say regulation will legitimise an industry that has not proved itself to a high enough scientific standard.
Researcher and science writer Martin Robbins said: "The problem is if you introduce regulation for alternative medicine, you're almost in effect licensing fraud.
"You're telling people that they can manufacture and sell treatments without having to show that they work and take money from people for them."
The Department of Health said: "We have recently been consulting on whether, and if so how, to regulate herbal medicine practitioners, where no regulation has existed before.
"We won't pre-empt the outcome of the consultation, but safety will be our main concern in making decisions."
SKY NEWS