Complementary concerns?
November 22, 2012
AUSTRALIA needs to move
beyond market forces and engage
in “hard discussions and debate”
about the place of complementary
medicines in the Australian
healthcare landscape, according to
CEO of the Consumers Health
Forum of Australia, Carol Bennett.
The comments come as part of
the CHC’s latest Health Voices
issue, which delves into the
landscape of complementary drugs,
and questions how much consumers
know about natural medicines.
“Consumers clearly believe there
are real benefits in using
complementary medicine, but what
do we know about the products
they are using? What safeguards
are in place in terms of regulation,
consumer protection and testing
for quality, consistency and
effectiveness?,” Bennett said.
According to Bennett, “the issues
around complementary
medicine are multifaceted, complex
and often contestable”, and due to
the murky waters consumers may
not fully understand the products
that they are taking.
MEANWHILE responding to the
Forum’s comments, the
Complementary Healthcare Council
of Australia (CHCA) emphasised the
regulatory vigour of the
complementary medicines industry
in Australia.
“Research shows that the
majority of consumers know
exactly what complementary
medicine product they are buying
and why,” the organisation said in a
statement.
“This goes to show that
consumers deserve credit for their
informed purchasing decisions,” the
statement added.
The CHCA also took aim at the CHF
saying that whilst its complementary
campaign may be well intended,
their approach is unjustly generating
fear amongst consumers whom do
or would benefit from
complementary medicines.
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