This review discusses the use of traditional medicine (ethnomedicine) in drug discovery, emphasizing the value of information from traditional medicinal plants. It highlights that 80% of 122 compounds derived from 94 plant species have ethnomedical uses related to their current medicinal applications. The review outlines various approaches to selecting plants for drug development, including random screening, biological assays, and follow-up of ethnomedical reports. It also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using plants as starting points for drug discovery, noting their long-term use by humans and potential for novel structures. The review emphasizes the importance of ethnomedical information in identifying bioactive compounds and the challenges in collecting plants based on traditional uses. It also discusses the role of databases in correlating ethnomedical uses with biochemical and pharmacological activities. The review concludes that ethnomedical information has contributed significantly to drug discovery, and that the future of plant-derived drug discovery will likely involve a combination of random collection and ethnomedical approaches. The review also highlights the importance of considering the ethical and legal aspects of plant collection and the need for sustainable use of biodiversity.This review discusses the use of traditional medicine (ethnomedicine) in drug discovery, emphasizing the value of information from traditional medicinal plants. It highlights that 80% of 122 compounds derived from 94 plant species have ethnomedical uses related to their current medicinal applications. The review outlines various approaches to selecting plants for drug development, including random screening, biological assays, and follow-up of ethnomedical reports. It also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using plants as starting points for drug discovery, noting their long-term use by humans and potential for novel structures. The review emphasizes the importance of ethnomedical information in identifying bioactive compounds and the challenges in collecting plants based on traditional uses. It also discusses the role of databases in correlating ethnomedical uses with biochemical and pharmacological activities. The review concludes that ethnomedical information has contributed significantly to drug discovery, and that the future of plant-derived drug discovery will likely involve a combination of random collection and ethnomedical approaches. The review also highlights the importance of considering the ethical and legal aspects of plant collection and the need for sustainable use of biodiversity.