Abstract
This review compares contemporary with traditional medicine and indigenous pharmacopoeias. A new approach for an indigenous pharmacopoeia is explored. Kaitiakitanga and conservation of medicinal plants, as well as sustaining and strengthening rongoā Māori and improving health outcomes through developing Te Tauihu Pharmacopoeia is an aspiration. Valuing medicinal plants as taonga and acknowledging traditional understanding along with guiding tikanga, including respect, humility, honesty, transparency and permission from knowledge holders, are prerequisites for such an initiative. Pharmacopoeias have traditionally described the making of healing medicines. Hundreds of these have been compiled, some dating back prior to 1,000 AD, notably the Chinese Pharmacopoeia in 250 AD. Despite a drive for standardisation, there are different styles including regional and indigenous pharmacopoeias, arising from different rationales for their development. In Aotearoa-New Zealand there are no current pharmacopoeias; historical and recent laws and policies have either impeded or fallen short of the commitment made by other countries to traditional medicines. Reversing the erosion of traditional knowledge resulting from colonisation is an important driver for written versions of indigenous verbal pharmacopoeias, but a new pharmacopoeia based on verbal traditions, historical information, and mātauranga Māori cannot be pursued lightly, and should be led by indigenous knowledge holders.