Med J Aust. 2003 Sep; 179(6): 316-8.

The regulation of complementary health: sacrificing integrity?

Parker MH.

School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Herston Road, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia. [email protected]

In response to the increasing use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), governments are exploring ways to ensure patients' safety and respond to complaints. One solution is to establish registration boards and procedures based on the model of existing health practitioner Acts. Registration will require defined minimum standards for competence, which will have to be based on scientific evidence. As scientific evidence accumulates, these modalities are likely to lose their identities as "alternative" and become assimilated into Western medicine.