First, it costs less and takes less time in Europe to approve medicines as safe and effective. European guidelines for the assessment of herbal remedies follow up on WHO's Guidelines for the Assessment of Herbal Medicines, which state that a substance's historical use is a valid way to document safety and efficacy in the absence of scientific evidence to the contrary. France, where traditional medicines can be sold with labeling based on traditional use, requires licensing by the French Licensing Committee and approval by the French Pharmacopoeia Committee. The German Federal Health Office regulates products such as ginkgo and milk thistle extracts so that potency and manufacturing processes are standardized. In Japan, China, and India, patent herbal remedies composed of dried and powdered whole herbs or herb extracts, often in tablet form, are the rule.
Traditional herbals are the backbone of China's medicine.
Japan's traditional medicine, kampo, is similar to and historically derived from Chinese medicine but includes traditional medicines from Japanese folklore. Herbal medicines are the staple of medical treatment in many developing countries and are used for many types of ailments.