J Public Health Policy. 2000 ; 21(4): 447-70.

The ethics of alternative medicine therapies.

Clark PA.

St. Joseph's University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

It is estimated that 42% of the American public is using some form of alternative medicine, which reflects the changing needs and values in our society. Unfortunately, Western medicine has failed to see alternative medicine as complementary and integrative with conventional medicine. This is due to the fact that there is very little scientific data available regarding the safety, efficacy, optimal dosage and side-effects or interactions of these alternative medicine therapies. Many physicians dismiss a patient's questions concerning alternative medicine because the physician believes it is "quackery," without any proof to support this claim. This violates the patient's right to full disclosure of all possible treatment options and encourages patients to use these therapies without their physician's knowledge. As a result, it is estimated that 46% of those using alternative medicine do so without the supervision of their primary care physicians or alternative medicine practitioners. At the present time there is no regulatory process to ensure the safety and efficacy of these alternative medicine therapies. Manufacturers do not have to prove that their product works, but they must ensure that their product is not harmful. The combination of failure to inform physicians of usage and the possibility of adverse reactions with prescription drugs is placing the lives of many Americans in jeopardy. Ethically, consumers have the right to use alternative medicine therapies as a matter of autonomy, but they also have the duty not to harm themselves. To ensure their safety, alternative medicine therapies must be evaluated in regards to safety and efficacy so that they can be integrated into conventional medicine. The Federal Drug Administration has the ethical responsibility to take the lead in this area. To protect the common good, there is a need to know not only what alternative medicine can do for us but what it can do to us.