To add on to Serena and Joseph's discussion, I believe all drugs are developed one way or the other from the same source and all have side effects. The difference is one is being scientifically tested and the other has been traditionally tested. They all have their strengths and limitations, and in our cultural context our traditional herbs have been used to complement medical drugs which are sometimes proven to be ineffective, resistant, shortages, inaccessible, and costly.

There are cases whereby our traditional herbs proved to be working lot better than the pharmaceutical drugs. But there are some that don't worked at all. There is a story about an old man treating HIV patients. He was interviewed following a number of patients have visited him. He believes that his traditional herbs are working. The interviewer asked him why he thinks that his herbs are effective for HIV patients. He said that none of his patients ever visited him again after the treatment. The interviewer concludes that presumably, all must have died.