 HEATHER
PYM
A
Division of General Practice Perspective
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It always
amuses me (sometimes annoys) that the laws, regulations, guidelines,
rules etc. etc. that are applied to the practice of medicine and
pharmacy (highly regulated) are glibly overlooked by the legal
and regulatory affairs for practitioners of 'natural' therapies.
Added to that many of these therapists now assume the courtesy
title of 'Dr' to practice under the guise of the acceptable medical
mode?
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The
public, trusting as they are, rarely question this parallel system
and I suppose think that there are two or several modes of medical/health
interpretation and take the one that suits at the time.
In fact I have been made to feel a 'heretic' at times for my sceptical
acceptance of the pseudo-medical modes!
Where is their evidence?
Whenever we engage on using any new "gizmo" or trying
something mostly we look for the evidence of it working or being
an improvement or substantiating its claims?
Don't we all do this?
How in the most pre-eminently important area of our health can we
overlook this?
Is the education system perhaps to blame here?
Health education is relegated to the science steam in schools if
it is offered at all.
And what about nutrition, physiology and basic knowledge that a
human being requires to maintain health and understand disease in
today's environment?
The best many of the public can do to take on this responsibility
for their families is to read the women's magazines and the plethora
of 'health' journals to keep abreast of the knowledge needed these
days to keep healthy.
And the media has a lot to say on these issues on all fronts.
It could be argued that the numerous 'health therapy' modes keeps
the regular orthodox health system free of minor ills and whims
to address the serious health issues in the community.
I doubt if the health system with its shortages in almost all areas
could cope if all the 'dirty livers' 'toxic renal systems and blocked
energy fields turned up for a cure at the local GP.
It is better that people with these ailments pay up front, unsubsidised
by the taxpayer for the treatments they are deemed to require.
And all those 'essential' vitamins and minerals and herbal preparations
that are needed to keep the health of the nation and the economic
order functioning would cost the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
(PBS) billions more if the 'patients' were not prepared to foot
the bill themselves!
So the demise of Pan pharmaceutical has ramifications for us all
beyond the dire situation for the health food shops and allied industry
(pharmacies?) .
I ask the question again that I have often posed.
Are not the fruit and vegetable shops the real health food shops?
When was that hijacked?
Working with GPs in the Melbourne Division I have noticed that the
Pan debacle has had little impact. The main areas of concern at
present are the Medicare fees and claims and Indemnity.
These items of no concern to complementary practitioners are essential
to GPs if viable practices are to keep functioning and something
can be done to prevent the shortages of GPs that already exist in
many areas and that are threatening to occur in many others.
At the end of the day it will be the public who decides on the medical
systems they want in place and are willing to support.
I hope that pausing for a while to consider the issues will bring
some science, sense and evidence into the decisions that are made.
Education is the key and some well-founded regulations that will
prevent ignorance and charlatanism flourishing on a gullible public.
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