COMMUNITY PRACTICES AND USE OF PHYTOTHERAPICS: A NARRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

This qualitative, descriptive, and theoretical-reflective study, based on a narrative review of national publications (2006–2024), aims to present the current state of knowledge on the work of the Pastoral da Saúde (PS) in the field of phytotherapy. It highlights the role of these agents in valuing, preserving, and disseminating traditional knowledge about medicinal plants, highlighting how these practices contribute to health promotion and disease prevention, especially in community contexts, by articulating care and spirituality. The search was conducted in the CAPES, LILACS, Google Scholar, and SciELO databases, using the keywords: "health pastoral", "medicinal plants", "medicinal plant", "phytotherapeutic medicine", "phytotherapeutic medicines", "phytotherapy", "phytotherapeutic pharmacy". Of the 16 studies found 12 met the inclusion criteria. After active reading, thematic analysis was applied. Seven studies addressed ethnobotanical-pharmacological aspects; four addressed the right to health and community participation; and one validated medicinal plants used by a health worker. The literature indicates a predominance of ethnobotanical and pharmacological surveys in different municipalities, reaffirming the relevance of popular practices in community care, aligned with the work of health workers and Guideline No. 10 of the National Policy on Medicinal Plants and Phytotherapeutics, which recognizes and encourages the traditional use of plants and home remedies as a public health strategy. Despite the extensive work and accumulated experience in the preparation and supply of plants and phytotherapeutics, a significant gap in scientific literature on the efficacy and safety of the species used by health workers. The scarcity of clinical and pharmacological studies validating traditional use limits institutional recognition and the full integration of these practices into the Unified Health System (SUS).