What we do
Kooperation Phytopharmaka is a scientific society that is committed to strengthening the status of herbal medicinal products in our health care system.
The members of Kooperation Phytopharmaka deal with special scientific and medical issues relating to herbal medicinal products. The focus is always on the quality, efficacy and safety of herbal medicinal products and thus the benefit-risk profile for the patient.
Founding phase
Kooperation Phytopharmaka was founded in Cologne in 1982 with the aim of maintaining, supporting and promoting the use of herbal medicinal products (phytotherapy). As a partnership under civil law (GbR), it is an association of member companies of the following four organizations:
- Bundesverband der Arzneimittel-Hersteller e.V. (BAH)
- Bundesverband der Pharmazeutischen Industrie e.V. (BPI)
- Verband der Reformwarenhersteller e.V. (VRH)
- Gesellschaft für Phytotherapie e.V. (GPT)
Further development of the areas of responsibility
Whereas in the founding days the development of materials to support the preparation of monographs in Commission E was the main task of Kooperation Phytopharmaka, today the compilation and expert evaluation of scientific findings on the efficacy, but also increasingly on the safety of herbal medicines, is in the foreground of daily work.
With its technical and scientific elaborations, Kooperation Phytopharmaka supports its member companies in proving the quality, efficacy and safety of their herbal medicinal products. This applies to both products with well-established medicinal use, which is approved on the basis of bibliographic data, and with traditional use, which can be registered due to their long-standing tradition. To this end, the scientific literature is reviewed, evaluated by independent experts according to the latest findings and compiled in scientific reports.
Public relations
With their scientifically proven, prophylactic and therapeutic effects, herbal medicinal products are now an integral part of drug therapy. However, the knowledge of the effect of plants and extracts as medicinal products has been increasingly forgotten in recent decades. Herbal medicinal products are often very effective and at the same time poor in side effects or interactions with other medications. It is therefore a special concern to impart this knowledge to the public. To this end, Kooperation Phytopharmaka has produced two brochures and launched the “Education Box” project.
