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Unregulated alternative medicine.

Andreas J Bircher1, Christian Surber

  • 1Allergy Unit, Department of Dermatology, Institute of Hospital Pharmacy, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, CH-4031 Basel, Switzerland. Andreas.Bircher@unibas.ch

Journal of Drugs in Dermatology : JDD
|July 11, 2003
PubMed
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Many unconventional treatments involve fraudulent products, including "natural" remedies with undeclared ingredients or no active substances. Patients assume safety, but this is unreliable, necessitating equal quality standards for all treatments.

Area of Science:

  • Integrative Medicine
  • Pharmacovigilance
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Unconventional treatments, including alternative, traditional, and complementary therapies, are widely used for various health conditions.
  • Concerns exist regarding fraudulent products within the unconventional treatment market, posing risks to patient safety.
  • Tainted topical products, though less frequently reported, present analytical challenges and potential dangers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the prevalence and risks associated with fraudulent unconventional treatments.
  • To emphasize the unreliability of patient assumptions regarding the safety and efficacy of

Main Methods:

  • Review of reported cases and literature concerning fraudulent unconventional treatments.
  • Analysis of challenges in detecting adulterants in topical products.

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  • Discussion of patient perceptions and over-reliance on advertised claims.

    • Main Results:

    • Fraudulent products include herbal remedies with undeclared synthetic ingredients, toxic agents, or no active substances.
    • Unqualified individuals and clinics may provide dangerous advice or treatment.
    • Patient assumption of safety with "natural" products is often unfounded.

    Conclusions:

    • Quality standards for all treatments, whether "natural" or pharmaceutical, should be standardized.
    • Treatment and medical advice should only be delivered by qualified healthcare professionals.
    • Increased vigilance and regulation are needed to protect patients from unsafe unconventional therapies.