Snippets of thoughts about regulation:
/Excerpts from article: ‘Hodge-podge’ regulation of alternative medicine in Canada
Published at www.cmaj.ca on July 29
CMAJ • SEPTEMBER 7, 2010 • 182(12) DOI:10.1503/cmaj.109-3325 Right now, both homeopathy and traditional Chinese medicine remain almost entirely unregulated in Canada, as are most complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practices. “It’ s a hodge-podge patchwork, which can be confusing for the con- sumer at the best of times,” says Heather Boon, founding chair and principal investigator of the Canadian Interdisci- plinary Network for CAM Research. Some CAM practices, like homeopathy, were once regulated under the provincial colleges of physicians and surgeons, but were dropped from the colleges’ regulatory purview in the mid-20th century. Boon continues; “When a profession is regulated their college will have quality assurance programs and disciplinary commit- tees set up to investigate complaints. But if you see someone who isn’t regulated, the courts view it as poor judgment on your part, not poor practice on the part of the practitioner, unless they physically harm you. But that’s pretty rare because alternative therapies are usually quite subtle and noninvasive.”
Published at www.cmaj.ca on July 29
CMAJ • SEPTEMBER 7, 2010 • 182(12) DOI:10.1503/cmaj.109-3325 Right now, both homeopathy and traditional Chinese medicine remain almost entirely unregulated in Canada, as are most complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practices. “It’ s a hodge-podge patchwork, which can be confusing for the con- sumer at the best of times,” says Heather Boon, founding chair and principal investigator of the Canadian Interdisci- plinary Network for CAM Research. Some CAM practices, like homeopathy, were once regulated under the provincial colleges of physicians and surgeons, but were dropped from the colleges’ regulatory purview in the mid-20th century. Boon continues; “When a profession is regulated their college will have quality assurance programs and disciplinary commit- tees set up to investigate complaints. But if you see someone who isn’t regulated, the courts view it as poor judgment on your part, not poor practice on the part of the practitioner, unless they physically harm you. But that’s pretty rare because alternative therapies are usually quite subtle and noninvasive.”
