Currently there is heightened awareness among the general public on complementary medicine. Apparently there are more than 12,000 practitioners in complementary medicine in Malaysia and the number is fast growing. Nevertheless, there is a very loose definition on the scope and responsibilities such practioners adhere to.
Unfortunately the very term "complementary medicine" has been used interchangeably with traditional medicine, alternative medicine and herbal medicine. The public in general often has been made to believe that they all mean the same and practitioners are categorised largely on the the lines of weather they are Indian, Chinese or Malay healers. This is a misconception in definitive terms in contact with complementary medicine. Though the government intends to regulate this industry but mere legal definitions and boundries will not hold much water when there is parallel treatment sought by a patient.
Allopathy medicine practitioners are highly regulated by many different regulations, acts and ethics which carry heavy penalties if breached. A patient has the right to sought multiple opinions and have clear legal rights in reference to the different acts if he feels there has been a medical negligence on the part of the practitioner. Will they have the same avenues with complementary practitioners? Medical and pharmaceutical care has evolved into a very evidence based practice.Strict guidelines pertaining to good practices in clinical care and trials in conjunction with quality medicine is advocated to ensure that best possible care is given to a patient. Without which, licensing can be denied at any level of the supply chain. Will the same standards be applied to complementary medicine practitioners?
Medical claims made in modern medicine practice must be substantiated with adequate clinical evidence as practitioners may face medico-legal cases. Nevertheless, on the other end of the spectrum, complementary medicine practitioners substantiate their claims by mere personal experiences and word-of-mouth promotions. What will be the implications to the patient's legal rights if there is a dispute or negligence on the part of the practitioner? What will be the reference point for legal arguments? Are there sufficient experts in the country to handle such disputes?
My personal experience over the years in the health industry has seen many patients who are gullible to try complementary medicine especially for chronic ailments like diabetes, strokes, hypertension and asthma; to mention a few indeed. There is no objection to that but unfortunately I see that a large number of them disregard their modern medicines in the believe that they cause more harm than good in the long term use. Often than not, they are coaxed by the complementary medicine practitioners to abandon their medications and solely rely on herbal based. Many return over time with far more complications, deterioration in health and poorer financially after forking out money. Their dissatisfaction is met with a standard answer by the healers that it did not work on them because they failed to adhere to the many restrictions imposed whilst taking complementary medicines. To my understanding it should complement and not displace modern medications!
Another point of discontent is on the topic of side effects. Ironically, patients always have the notion that modern medicines have delibitating side effects no matter how good they can be. On the other hand alternatives are always safe. This is a very myopic view. There are also issues pertaining to drug interactions which many complementary practitioners may not be aware. Certain long term consequences may only surface after many years down the road and it can be irreversible in some instances. One must acknowledge the fact that even many herbal medicines go through vital organs like kidney, liver, lungs, heart and brain. Damage can happen.
The concerned authorities must weigh all aspects of complementary medicine practices critically from different facets before allowing a blanket consent and blessings. The well being and safety of patients must be paramount at all times. Public must be adequately educated on complementary medicine not only on the aspect of health but also legal rights. Ambiguity and grey areas of practices must be cleared especially if there is a possibility of dispute when modern and complementary medicine is received by patients at the same time. There must be a defined index of reference for drug interactions between modern and complementary medicines. Physical manipulation and examinations on patients must be highly regulated to avoid incidents of harassment claims and must be done under supervision by a third party.
And above all, the government must clearly define what constitutes complementary medicine and how the component of alternative, traditional and herbal medicine jives within its context. It will be essential to have a central governing body to evaluate, assess and certify all complementary medicine practitioners annually with a formal registry. There should also be a defined academic syllabus for aspiring students who wish to venture into this field. Currently there is also no clear guidelines on how a patient is charged a fee for complementary treatments. This must be addressed seriously to avoid exhorbitant charges. Claims made by complimentary medicine practitioners for having "cured" certain illnesess must be nipped in the bud before it escalates and do more harm than good.
It is evident the we have many more questions to be answered before streamlining complementary medicine practices in Malaysia.
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