A herbalist is a person whose life is dedicated to the economic or medicinal uses of plants and one is skilled in the harvesting and collection of medicinal plants (see wildcrafter).Traditional Chinese herbalist are one who is trained or skilled in the dispensing of herbal prescriptions; traditional Chinese herb doctor. Similarly, Traditional Ayurvedic herbalist are one who is trained or skilled in the dispensing of herbal prescriptions in the Ayurvedic tradition.
Ayurveda is totally dependent on Herbalist. Ayurveda without herb is incomplete. The medicinal basis of Ayurveda is herb. According to wiki, Education of herbalists varies considerably in different areas of the world. Lay herbalists and traditional indigenous medicine people generally rely upon apprenticeship and recognition from their communities in lieu of formal schooling. In some countries formalised training and minimum education standards exist, although these are not necessarily uniform within or between countries. For example, in Australia the currently self-regulated status of the profession (as of April 2008) results in different associations setting different educational standards, and subsequently recognising an educational institution or course of training. Qualifications levels vary from Diploma to Masters degree, with Advanced Diploma level being regulated to some degree by the national Health Training Packages issued by the Australian National Training Authority.
Many herbalists, particularly those with ‘apothecary’ herbal backgrounds, become affiliated with or found commercial herbal products manufacturing companies for producing herbal products of varying kinds. Most ‘liquid’ herbal products companies hold the distinction of having been started by individuals who were already practicing herbalists and took their apothecary herbal skills onto full commercial endeavors.