Contributions of medicinal plants to care and health promotion in primary healthcare

Phytotherapy programs and actions within Brazilian primary healthcare were analyzed from the literature. This metastudy included six databases, from 1988 to 2012. Twenty-four published papers were registered. Phytotherapy has been introduced for a variety of reasons: to increase the therapeutic resources, retrieve popular knowledge, preserve biodiversity and promote environmental and popular education, agroecology and social development. There is an ambivalence that on the one hand reinforces self-care, educational activities and intersectoral and community participation, thus constituting a form of care and health promotion; and on the other hand restricts the process to incorporation of compounded or manufactured herbal medicines to pharmacies within primary care services, for strictly professional use. A broad view of phytotherapy that incorporates these two approaches from the perspective of ecology of healthcare knowledge and practices is emphasized.