The manufacture of these products is carried out by relatively few companies and, as distinct from the sale of an unprocessed herb, these preparations require a product licence for their manufacture and sale. This EC requirement was introduced in 1972 for new products and was subsequently extended to review all products irrespective of how long they have been marketed. The demonstration that a particular remedy complied with the imposed standards of quality, safety and efficacy as applied to medicines in general was, by nature of the mixed herbal preparation, difficult or impossible to show without extremely costly research. Some limited cognizance of this fact was taken by the national regulatory bodies of member EC countries but interpretation of the EEC directive varied considerably with different states.

Large amounts of traditional medicines are imported into Britain, legally and illegally. Herbal remedies in Britain can be obtained through a medical herbalist or medical practitioner on prescription and as OTC products from pharmacies and other retail outlets.

In practice, medical herbalists of the European herbal tradition, who constitute a relatively small professional body (about 300 in UK), are not consulted by the majority of the public who purchase herbal preparations. General practitioners rarely prescribe herbal remedies although, with complementary treatment – especially traditional Chinese and Indian herbal medicine – now being available through the NHS, referral to an herbal practitioner is becoming more common. Presently there is a marked increase in pharmacies stocking herbal medicines and it is estimated that this sector represents 45% of the total sales for UK. Health food stores and similar sources are still the principal outlets for OTC products.

The supply of medicines in UK is controlled by the Medicines Act 1968 and by the Retail Sale or Supply of Herbal Remedies Order .The General Sales List of the Medicines Order contains about 341 herbal medicines which, with reasonable safety, can be sold or supplied other than under the supervision of a pharmacist. A further stricture on the supply of herbal and other medicines relates to the very limited claims which may legally be made for a preparation, these being restricted to relatively minor ailments.

Part I of the Schedule on herbal drugs in the Medicines Act 1968 lists plants that may be sold or supplied only from a registered pharmacy. Those listed in Part II and III may be used by practitioners who sell or supply herbal remedies where they are for administration to a particular person following a personal consultation, but are not for retail in circumstances other than through pharmacy.