The Times (London) newspaper's top story on Saturday 20 September was the anticipated restrictions on complementary medicine.

The article describes another mechanism that could reduce the ability of consumers to take responsibility for their own health.


Clampdown on alternative medicines

The Times, London, 20 September 2003

By Oliver Wright, Chris Johnston and Rosemary Bennett

The alternative medicine industry is to be strictly regulated in the same way as doctors in a drive to root out charlatans and boost public confidence in complementary therapies.

New proposals set out yesterday will force all alternative medicine practioners in the £1.6 billion industry to register with a new governing body that will demand minimal training standards and discipline any practitioner who breaks the rules.

Sales of Chinese, ayurvedic and Western herbal medicines, which are championed by figures as diverse as Prince Charles and Cherie Blair, have rocketed in recent years as the public seek cures for everything from depression to spots.

Alarm bells are ringing at Whitehall about the danger posed by the amount of unlicensed and potentially dangerous remedies being ingested.

Health ministers believe it is unacceptable that “anyone with a food processor” can set up shop as a herbalist.

The Times has learnt that the new proposals will mean that some herbal treatments, currently available to buy over the counter, will be available only from licensed practitioners. A new code of conduct will also ensure that alternative medical practitioners do not treat patients beyond their level of expertise.

The plans, which will go out to consultation, do not require new legislation and will bring herbal practitioners in line with doctors, dentists and other professionals who have the power to regulate themselves.

The new proposals raise the prospect of GPs acting as herbal practitioners in addition to prescribing conventional medication. At present 16 per cent of GPs say that they have prescribed some type of complementary medicine in their careers, and the working group on herbal medicine are keen to increase this. “Many doctors already recognise that herbal remedies can be effective for their patients, and we would hope that these new regulations will give GPs the confidence to exploit the potential further,” said Michael Pittilo, who chaired the herbal medicine regulatory working group, which produced the proposals.

One in five people use complementary medicine and one in 10 turn to herbal treatments or homoeopathy, according to a recent Mintel survey. There are some 1500 herbal practitioners presently working in Britain.

Consumers have started to express concerns about the industry. One in five has worries about the side effects of complementary medicine while one in four felt they did not have adequate information on the products.

Professor Pittilo said he hoped that the new regulations would lead to an increase in public confidence. “What is worrying at the moment is it is very difficult for the public to know which herbal practitioners have gone through decent levels of training,” he said.

Everyone on the register will be expected to prove both their training and competency and will be able to call themselves a “registered practitioner” in their field of work.