Complementary Medicines Flashcards
What is the definition of complementary and alternative medicines?
WHO - A broad set of health care practices that are not part of that country’s own tradition and are not integrated into the dominant health care system
What are the main alternative medicines used in the UK?
1 - Herbal products
2 - Massage
3 - Nutraceuticals
4 - Aromatherapy
5 - Yoga
6 - Meditation
How many Scottish GP practices use homeopathic or herbal preprations?
60%
What are the concerns about alternative medicines?
1 - Implausibility of most therapies
2 - Lack of evidence for benefit
3 - Lack of safety data
4 - Evidence of harm
5 - Adverse effects/herb-drug interactions
How many people use alternative medicines in UK?
80%
Why do people use alternitive medicines?
1 - Think its natural and safe
2 - Concerned with side effects of prescribed medications
3 - Alternative medicines fit better with their own values, beliefs and philosophy about their health
What are the common alternative medicines used by breat cancer patients?
1 - Soya
2 - Cranberry
3 - Echinacea
4 - Glucosamine
5 - Greaprefruit
6 - Garlic
What are the most common type of alternative medicines used during pregnancy?
Herbal products
With which drug can St John’s Wort have a strong interaction with?
Warfarin
How safe is homeopathy regarded as?
Generally safe and harmless
What is homeopathy?
The practice of diluting minute concentrations of a toxin in water to create a remedy for a disease
Have there been any studies validating the efficacy of homeopathy?
No
