What is the use of plants and plant products for medicinal purposes called?

The use of plants and plant products for medicinal purposes is referred to as phytotherapy. This term encompasses the entire field of using plant-based materials, including herbs, for therapeutic benefits. Phytotherapy is grounded in the belief that natural plant compounds can interact with the body to promote health and alleviate symptoms.

In contrast, herbology primarily focuses on the study and application of herbs specifically, often without recognizing the broader classifications of medicinal plants that may not strictly be herbs. Pharmacotherapy is a more general term that refers to the treatment of diseases with drugs, which can include synthetic medications as well as natural products, thereby not specifically highlighting the use of plants. Allopathy, on the other hand, refers to a system of medicine that treats disease by using remedies that produce effects different from those caused by the disease itself, often involving pharmaceutical compounds rather than plant-derived ones. Thus, phytotherapy is the most precise term for the use of plants in medicine.