Authors Dr Dilis Clare, a practicing GP who also holds a qualification as a medical herbalist and researcher Dr Tim Morrissey challenge modern healthcare, and call for a restoration of herbal medicine with a focus on patient-led care.
The book uncovers the systematic sidelining of herbal medicine by powerful patrons, tracing the origins of today’s ‘monolithic, product-based’ healthcare system.
Dr. Clare’s motivation follows a simple question:
“Why was I not taught about herbal medicines in medical school?”
Which follows her clinical experience
‘As a herbalist, I have seen the lives of many patients transformed by a therapeutic system they barely knew existed, let alone had any belief in at the outset’
– Quote from Dr Clare Uprooted Medicine.
As they say, the rest is history, and this history uncovers cosmologies, religions, cultures, wars, and famines spanning centuries, which challenge the dominance of establishment medicine long before chemicals came to the fore. Patronage by the powerful has always influenced resources available for healthcare
The Curriculum Barrier
Uprooted Medicine argues that current Pharma patronage exclusively supports product-based protocols endorsed by entangled professional organisations. This systemic exclusion has a direct impact on patient knowledge and choice:
According to Dr Clare:
“Expecting your doctor or pharmacist to have in-depth knowledge about herbal medicine is as unrealistic as expecting a shoe shop to sell bananas.”
This is because herbal medicine is excluded from medical curricula, curiosity is often discouraged as “investing in quackery.”
The book’s ultimate goal is an urgent restoration of patient-led, collaborative care, a model Dr. Clare has successfully pioneered in her own practice since 1999.
The Modern-Day Crisis: Why This History Matters Now
In a society increasingly embracing a holistic approach to health from the grassroots, Uprooted Medicine provides a reasoned foundation for integrating medicinal herbs into safe, effective treatment plans.
The authors argue that the generalized distancing from the natural world and the absence of herbal medicine have coincided with a recent deterioration in health statistics. This makes a major review of health decision-making at both an individual and systemic level urgent.
This message is globally relevant. The book issues an alert to poorer economies, emphasising that healthcare sovereignty is precious. It advises them to invest in their own herbal medicine practices before adopting the dominant global model at the expense of their traditional wisdom.
Call to Action
Aimed at professionals seeking ethical models and laypersons demanding choices, this book validates the transformative potential of collaborative care.
As we are all patients, Uprooted Medicine offers opportunities to review certainties and make more diverse health choices, including herbal medicines as a valid contender.
About the Authors
Dr. Dilis Clare is a practicing GP and Medical Herbalist who bridges modern medicine and the ancient art of healing with plants. As Clinical Director of Dr Clare’s Apothecary, she has pioneered Collaborative Medical Care since 1999.
Tim Morrissey holds a PhD in Geology and has spent two decades researching and content-editing in the field of herbal medicine, influenced by his wife’s busy herbal practice.
Availability and Details
Title: Uprooted Medicine: A revealing history of medicine that restores herbs to patient-led care Authors: Dr. Dilis Clare and Dr. Tim Morrissey Imprint: Tribes Press (Galway, Ireland) Format: Paperback A5 (210×148) Release Date: November 7, 2025
About Tribes Press
Based in Galway City, Ireland and founded in 2018, Tribes Press is an earth conscious book publisher committed to using sustainably sourced papers supplied by EU Ecolabel and FSC® certification manufacturers. Website: http://www.tribespress.com/