First, do no harm; second, do some good!

The Ministerial Advisory Committee on Complementary and Alternative Health (MACCAH) called for submissions on how CAM can be introduced into the New Zealand health system.

The Committee was looking at such issues as:

The Committee consisted primarily of CAM practitioners with people involved in iridology, naturopathy/natural medicines, traditional Chinese medicine/acupuncture, aromatherapy/massage therapy, counsellor/Steiner, sociologist, and two doctors representing Maori and Pacific Health….

The NZ Skeptics made a formal submission to the Committee, after a frantic week researching the issues and policies abroad with the assistance of a wide range of people nationally and internationally. (Read the submission here; see the summary here)

The main focus in our submission was on stressing the importance of determining not just the safety, but also the efficacy of any CAM modality or product. Safety alone is not adequate if one is to provide consumer protection against fraudulent or misleading claims.

And if something is found to be both safe and effective, then it should be recognised as such and adopted if it proves superior to current practices or products.

As Marcia Angell, editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, put it:

There cannot be two kinds of medicine — conventional and alternative. There is only medicine that has been adequately tested and medicine that has not, medicine that works and medicine that may or may not work. Once a treatment has been tested rigorously, it no longer matters whether it was considered alternative at the outset. If it is found to be reasonably safe and effective, it will be accepted. But assertions, speculation, and testimonials do not substitute for evidence.

The NZ Skeptics are grateful for the many experts who provided advice, assistance and information. A non-exhaustive list includes the following:

Dr Stephen Barrett, Chair of Quackwatch
Dr Wallace Sampson, Editor the Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine
Robert S. Baratz, MD, PhD, President of the National Council Against Health Fraud
Ruth Kava, Ph.D., R.D. Director of Nutrition, American Council on Science and Health
Peter Moran MB BS BSc(Med) FRCS(Eng) FRACS
Timothy Gorksi, MD, NCAHF board member
Rocky Mountain Skeptics
Paul Lee
Moshe Frenkel M.D.
Donald Marcus M.D.


Summary of Recommendations

The list below covers the general recommendations made in the NZ Skeptics submission. Each point is covered in detail in the full submissions document.

Problems of Basic Focus

Regulation

Consumer Information Needs

Research, Evidence and Efficacy

Integration