This situation makes it prudent for the consumer to be aware of and observe several precautions. This often results from an initial misidentification of the herb in the field, a mistake then passed on to the unknowing manufacturer. Part of the confusion comes from the continued use of common plant names instead of the correct Latin binomial. Often a distinct species is referred to by many different common names. Equally confusing is when several different species have the same or a similar common name.
Standardization is another important issue.
Although this seems to be a logical solution, it is not an easy one. This is particularly relevant in the case of those herbs where the active ingredients are not identical or in those where several components work together to produce the desired effect. Standardizing to a key component in a given preparation would likely improve uniformity and consistency among products. Without FDA guidelines and enforced standardization, consumers can't be certain that sufficient active ingredients are present in a product to have at least a chance at being therapeutically useful. Some examples illustrate the point.