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Complementary medicine products: interpreting the evidence base
Author(s) -
Cohen Marc,
Hunter Jennifer
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
internal medicine journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.596
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-5994
pISSN - 1444-0903
DOI - 10.1111/imj.13534
Subject(s) - medicine , confusion , medical prescription , alternative medicine , evidence based medicine , medline , clinical trial , family medicine , nursing , pathology , psychology , political science , psychoanalysis , law
Many patients use complementary medicine ( CM ) products, such as vitamins, minerals and herbs as part of self‐care without professional advice or disclosure to their doctors. While use of CM products is gaining awareness by the medical community and there is mounting evidence for their safety, efficacy and cost‐effectiveness, there is also the potential for adverse events from inappropriate use and/or withdrawal, as well as interactions with other medicines. Due to the unique and complex properties of many CM products, research evidence is specific to individual preparations and this can lead to confusion when assessing label claims and interpreting the results of clinical trials and systematic reviews. While the Australian regulatory environment for CM products is the same as for prescription medicines and is based on risk, there is a great need for consumers and clinicians to have access to easily understood, evidence‐based information to facilitate informed decision‐making.