Complementary Medicines

Two important research reports on the complementary medicines information needs of Australian consumers and health professionals are now available from the National Prescribing Service (NPS). The NPS research highlights the gap between the widespread and increasing use of complementary medicines and the limited evidence available to justify much of this use.
It also shows a major disconnect between the consumer perception of complementary medicines as “natural” and “risk-free” and the reality that these medicines contain pharmacologically active substances that can cause adverse effects, albeit less frequently with conventional medicines.