Herbal Medicine Making Certificate (12-hours)

The 12-hour plant medicine making certificate program designed for students & plant medicine enthusiasts who want to take their understanding of herbs to the next level.

Creating your own herbal formulas is an accessible, affordable and empowering way to connect with plants from your local environment! This program focuses on making safe & effective herbal remedies, by employing knowledge of plant chemistry, formulation techniques, and critical thinking. Course outcomes include a deeper understanding of how plant medicines work together in formula, as well as ethical, legal & safety guidelines to making remedies that every herbalist should know.

Guided by a Registered Clinical Herbalist instructor, students learn a variety of extraction methods for plant-based medicines and design sample products for personal testing.  Detailed course itinerary and learning materials will be emailed to registered attendees 1 week before the program start date.

Workshop For: This workshop is designed for students of a herbal medicine program – however anyone interested in safe, effective herbal formulating is welcome to attend. Please bring your favorite herbal reference books with you to class, for research purposes.

Practicum/CE Hours: This program provides four (4) Practicum (non-clinical) hours for students of herbal medicine. The entire 12 hour program is applicable for Alberta Herbalists Association education requirements and continuing education credits. Participants who complete the program & assignment will receive a certificate from Kodiak Herbal.

Program Outline:

Monday, Oct. 17th, 6:00-9:00pm: Chemistry & Ethics Intensive

• Intro to Chemistry of plant medicine
• Extraction methods for plant medicine
• Ethics for Herbalists & Formulators

Wednesday, Oct. 19th, 6:00-9:00pm: Formulating Intensive

• Safety Considerations for internal remedies – dosing, contraindications & potential interactions
• Making Effective Formulas from Plant Extracts
• Formulating Assignment

Monday, Oct. 24th, 6:00-9:00pm: Apothecary Day #1

• Lab Day – Topical Remedy Making: salves, ointments & oils, liniments, soaks, compresses, plasters
• Legal requirements for bottling, labeling & dispensing herbal extracts and formulas, Part 1

Thursday, Oct. 27th, 6:00-9:00pm: Apothecary Day #2

• Lab Day – Internal Remedy Making: decoctions & teas, tinctures, glycerites, syrups, oxymels, oil-based extracts
• Legal requirements for bottling, labeling & dispensing herbal extracts and formulas, Part 2

What to Bring: Notebook and pen, favorite herbal reference books, a phone or tablet (for online research purposes), tea mug.

More Info: Participants 16 or older can attend this program; youth must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Please see our complete workshop policies here. Due to the high cost of formulating ingredients, this workshop has a minimum number of participants to run. Registered attendees will be updated via email before October 10th, 2022.