At first glance, herbal medicine may seem very different from conventional medicine. Nevertheless, both approaches often complement each other in modern health care settings.
Within the integrative medicine service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), for example, the worlds of herbal and cutting-edge conventional medicine work together. There is a board-certified clinical herbal pharmacist who works directly with physicians and patients to assist with all herbal questions and recommend herbal treatments. The pharmacist also manages the herbal formulary list, which consists of several traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbal formulas used to manage symptoms of disease, along with several other supplements such as turmeric, ginger, and turkey tail mushrooms.