Práticas integrativas e complementares em Currais Novos/RN: uso de plantas medicinais?

The objective of this study is to investigate how the team of health professionals of the Family Health Strategies program and clients in Currais Novos/RN deal with the use (or not) of medicinal plants as one of the complementary and holistic practices in the Individual Health System (SUS in Portuguese). The research is carried out using a qualitative approach, applying semi-structured interviews, related to the proposed objective, as the instruments of data collection. The interviews applied to professionals and clients were based on questionnaires and were recorded, with their permission, then transcribed in a field diary. The subjects of the study were doctors, nurses, dentists and community health agents of the Family Health Strategies team, totaling 24 (twenty four) health professionals, as well as ten volunteers identified in the research as people who use medicinal plants for health care purposes. From this study, we verify the great importance that health professionals and clients attribute to the use of medicinal plants, as well as evidence that family tradition is the main vehicle for the dissemination of knowledge regarding their use. Most medicinal plants had popular indications similar of those used scientifically, however, 70% of the clients reported never having had medical health advice or encouragement to use medicinal plants in their treatments. Half of the group of professionals interviewed reported not feeling safe in prescribing medicinal plants; approximately 25% reported having received information on the subject during their undergraduate program. Expected outcomes of this study include instigating the implementation of treatment protocols by the health professionals, and broadening holistic care practices, as well as access to alternative therapeutic options, client participation, ultimately strengthening the link between primary care and Family Health Strategies