Introducing Petra E....
As a child in Germany Petra loved the smell and tranquility of the pharmacy. German pharmacies have a distinctive smell of herbs and teas which are kept in jars and bottles. She also has memories of“little health lollies” that they gave the children – no doubt a “happy place” for some!
Petra was interested in pharmacy and helping people so studied for 5 years and qualified as a pharmacist in Germany. Phytotherapy (herbal medicine) was studied intensively alongside pharmacology and Petra found this course work very interesting. The students would find and identify plants, study their biochemical compounds, draw them and discover their medicinal uses.
Phytotherapy & herbal medicine
Phytotherapy is a plant based therapy that has a long history. About 50AD a Greek physician and botanist Dioscorides wrote a 5 volume book describing individual plants and their medicinal properties. This knowledge increased and became pharmacology.
All plants produce chemical compounds as part of their metabolic activities, known as phytochemicals. Plants are made of a wide range of phytochemicals. For example – one plant may have over 200 biochemical compounds.
2 common examples of phytotherapy are
Carotonoids – found in red, yellow and orange vegetables such as pumpkin, corn and tomatoes. They are prescribed by some eye specialist doctors and are used to treat eye diseases such as macular degeneration.
Digoxin is a drug which is used to treat heart conditions and this is derived from foxglove.
Petra has lived and worked in New Zealand for many years now. Her interest in herbal medicine has stayed with her and she incorporates this knowledge into her work as a pharmacist.
Herbal Remedy Innovation
Petra's mother was holidaying in New Zealand and had a bad skin reaction to the local mosquitos. She asked Petra to make a herbal blend to help relieve the itchiness from her insect bites. Petra went to work in her kitchen and made a very effective anti-itch cream. It is a 100% plant based remedy that soothes and calms itchiness from insect bites, stings, sunburn,chickenpox and minor skin rashes. It is safe and effective to use on the face and body. Nitch Cream is now sold throughout New Zealand in pharmacies and health stores.We have been selling Nitch Cream in our Bricks and Mortar store, Harts Pharmacy for 6 years now. We also sell Nitch Cream by PetraE online at www.pharmacysales.co.nz We have had excellent feedback from our customers.
As a pharmacist Petra believes that herbal medicine can be used responsibly to treat minor ailments and that she can also refer people to other health professionals when required.
After speaking to Petra you realise her wealth of knowledge of herbal medicine and its many uses in health promotion today. Petra continues to make effective herbal remedies which are available at our Bricks & Mortar store Harts Pharmacy and online at www.pharmacysales.co.nz
Harts Pharmacy - Better Health for Better Lives