January 9th, 2007 
Von 1. HARVESTING PLANT MATERIALS
* Gather leaves when flower is about to bloom.
* Gather flowers before or shortly after the flowers have fully bloomed.
* Gather seeds from ripe fruits.
* Select and separate specified plant part (stem, leaves, flowers, seeds, bark or roots); remove dirt, insects and unhealthy plant part.
* Wash quickly
2. STORING PLANT MATERIALS FOR LATER USE
* Gather most plant materials during summer so that the materials can be dried properly.
* Dry specified plant materials in a well-shaded and well ventilated place. It usually takes 4 days to dry the plant materials during summer or 2 weeks during the rainy season.
* Keep dried plant materials in sealed plastic bags or in tightly covered brown containers.
* Store in cool, dry place away from sunlight.
* Label container with the name of the plant and the date of collection.
* Keep away from children’s reach.
* Properly dried and stored materials can last for 6 months.
* Discard materials that have molds.
3. PROPER USE OF MATERIALS
* Use only 1 kind of medicinal plant at a time. Do not mix different medicinal plants.
* Decoctions should be freshly prepared. A few day’s dose can be prepared and kept in a thermos. This can last for 3 days. Discard the decoction if the color has changed or molds are present.
- decoction – is prepared by boiling the specified plant portion
* Use a regular empty bottle of softdrink to measure 1 glassful of water that is neede in preparing decoction.
* Stop herbal treatment after 3 days if the patient’s symptom has not improved or has becomes worse. Consult a doctor immediately.
* Use earthenware pot in preparing decoctions. Never use plastic, metal or aluminum containers because the chemicals may remain in the solution.
Source: www.doh.gov.ph
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