SHOULD TRADITIONAL, COMPLEMENTARY & ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE BE INCORPORATED INTO THE CO-CURRICULUM OF PHARMACY SCHOOLS?

Traditional, complementary and alternative medicine has been used before the arrival of modern medicine in order to restore and protect health. As the term ‘traditional’ implies, these practice is owned by the traditions and culture of each country, tribe or race. In general, traditional, complementary and alternative medicine meets the needs of the local communities for many centuries. For example, Traditional Chinese Medicine started to develop in China and Ayurvedic Medicine developed in India.
Usually traditional, complementary and alternative medicine is defined as the practice and medical theories which have not been taught in Western medical schools or provided by Western Health care facilities. Other terms being used to describe this field are unconventional medicine, holistic medicine, integrative medicine, natural medicine and New Age medicine.

From my opinion, traditional, complementary and alternative medicine should be taught in pharmaceutical school due to three main reasons. The first reason is because that kind of situation will promote pharmacists to explore the ‘mysterious’ part of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine and prove it by evident-based researches. The second reason is to equip pharmacists with that current world trend and the third reason is that World Health Organization (WHO) is working in formulating national policies on traditional, complementary and alternative medicine.

The first reason of why traditional, complementary and alternative medicine should be incorporated in pharmaceutical schools is that the World Health Organization (WHO), through its Traditional Medicine Program supports the effort to study the potential benefit as well as the safety and efficacy of remedies of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine.
Pharmacists cannot ignore the knowledge of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine as herbal medicine is known as the oldest healthcare system. Nowadays, their importance is still obvious. Medicinal plants which are the backbone of herbal medicine are also important for pharmacological study to develop new drugs. The plant constituents are either used as therapeutic agent, as the inactive ingredient or as models for pharmacologically active compounds.

In the article “Promoting evidence-based alternative medicine” which is published in the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA), it is stated that the studies about traditional, complementary and alternative medicine are few and those that exist are often inconclusive. The main challenge for evidence-based modern medicine and traditional, complementary and alternative medicine is that the availability of the high quality clinical studies to construct the evidence.

The wide use of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine reinforces the need to construct the evidences qualitatively and quantitatively so that it can be used as a concrete guideline for the respected practitioners. A greater emphasis on clinical epidemiology in undergraduate and postgraduate education has been prompted due to the increasing recognition of the importance to promote the evidence-based traditional, complementary and alternative medicine. It supports the need to incorporate these subjects to pharmaceutical school.

It is essential to evaluate the traditional, complementary and alternative healthcare intervention in order to detect the adverse effects. The relatively lack of regulation of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine compared to the conventional medicine suggests that it is devoid of adverse effects. Article in the New England Journal of Medicine reveals the direct, indirect and potential harm from traditional, complementary and alternative medicine. The risks include the adulteration of the traditional or herbal medicines with estrogenically active chemicals, heavy metals and steroids. However, Australia has recognizes the need to consider the safety of alternative medicines.

The second reason why traditional, complementary and alternative medicine should be taught in pharmaceutical school is that to equip pharmacists and other modern health care practitioners with the current trend of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine throughout the whole world. By understanding the concept, it might help to foster teamwork among the health care team and the traditional, complementary and alternative practitioners.

This healthy alliance is important to deliver the best health care service to the patients. Among the factors that influence the objective mentioned above is that the traditional, complementary and alternative practitioners know the socio-cultural background of the people better than modern physicians. They are also highly respected by the local community.

It is difficult to deny the fact that the traditional, complementary and alternative medicine has become a world trend. A large population in the world especially in developing countries still relies on traditional, complementary and alternative medicine such as birth attendants, herbalists, bone-setters and the use of local medicinal plants to cater their health care needs.
The World Health Organization estimates that the traditional birth attendants assist in up to 95% of all rural births and 70% of urban births in developing countries. It must be a strong reason on why people still rely on traditional, complementary and alternative medicine. Thus, it is important for pharmacists to learn about it in pharmaceutical schools in order to understand and follow this demand.

The World Health Organization (WHO), through its Traditional Medicine Program supports the effort to upgrade the knowledge of traditional and modern health practitioners and also to inform and educate the public about this new-age medical trend.
The World Health Organization (WHO), through its Traditional Medicine Program supports the effort being done to formulate national policies on traditional, complementary and alternative medicine. It contributes to the third reason why it should be taught in pharmaceutical schools. If it becomes part of a country’s medicine policy, pharmacists obviously have to learn about this unconventional medicine as it becomes as important as the conventional medicine they are studying.

The interest on traditional, complementary and alternative medicine is shown clearly. During the last decade, one-third of American adults have used traditional, complementary and alternative treatments, while 60% of the population in Belgium and Netherlands and 74% in the United Kingdom are in favor of traditional, complementary and alternative practice being available within the framework of the National Health Science.

As the conclusion, no harm will be manifested in the case of incorporating the subject of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine in pharmaceutical schools. Let us consider it as a tiny part from the hugely wide area of knowledge possesses by God. It is clear that human being composed of physical being, emotional aspect as well as the spiritual part. They interdependently constitute the existence of a complete human being. Though only physical aspect can be proven by scientifically experimental evidences, other aspects should not be ignored and we should put our effort to understand what God has provided for us.

By:
Syahiera Farhana
August 08, 2003
(as an undergraduate course assignment in Bachelor of Pharmacy program)

Kulliyyah (School) of Pharmacy,
International Islamic University Malaysia.

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