Schweiz Med Wochenschr Suppl. 1994 ; 62(): 7-12.

[Complementary medicine and health policy regulations]

Künzi M.

Künzi Beratungen, Oensingen.

A comprehensive approach to the broad field of complementary medicine must necessarily embrace the whole question of health policy rules. It is part of this approach to classify complementary medicine as belonging to the field of naturopathy and specific methods, on the grounds that naturopathic methods can, in most cases, be subjected to scientific evaluation. At the same time, however, specific methods such as homeopathy, acupuncture, and neuropathy should not be sidelined. On the contrary, experience gathered over a great many years has proven the efficacy of these methods, and this should be the criterion for official recognition by health insurance schemas. In other words, the conventional science-based approval procedures should be widened. It follows that changes to the approval procedures would have an impact on the providers of complementary medicine, as well as on hospitals. At present the individual cantons decide to what extent therapists who are not qualified doctors are permitted to practice complementary medicine. The question whether or not to standardize, simplify or tighten the rules for admission is left open here.