A licensed manufactured preparation means that it is recognised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as safe, effective and of good quality, meeting strict manufacturing standards. Because of this, a licensed herbal medicine can clearly state what it is for on the packaging (e.g. a remedy may state that it is suitable 'for treating colds' or 'for constipation').

You can recognise licensed herbal medicines because, like other licensed medicines, they carry a product licence (PL) number on the packaging.

A scheme called the Traditional Herbal Medicines Registration Scheme (THMRS) allows herbals with sufficient evidence of traditional use in treating a particular condition to make claims on a pack if they have been granted a registration from the MHRA. These products are required to meet specific standards of safety and quality and can be accompanied by agreed indications, exclusively based on traditional usage. Evidence of efficacy is also required. For easy identification, they have a registration number on the pack starting with the letters THR.

All manufactured herbal medicines are required to have either a traditional herbal registration (THR) or a product licence. This means that customers can be sure that any licensed or registered herbal medicinal product meets the MHRA's standards of quality, and it will be clear what it can be used for.

A standardised herb contains a specific amount of the active ingredient. This is an important measurement, as the amount of the active ingredient may vary from plant to plant, depending on growing conditions. For example, the amount of sennosides in one gram of senna leaves will vary from batch to batch. A standardised formulation will state the amount of sennosides that it contains.