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Welcome to the first homepage edition of i2P for 2012.
In many ways it has been a slow start to the New Year because of having to deal with the “leftovers” from 2011.
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We apologise to all those potential subscribers who were unable to register with us in the second half of 2011, but if you try once more you should have no problem.

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Volume 2012 Number 1

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UK Media Shutdown on Complementary and Alternate Medicine Information

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	Staff Writer articles by this author...
Editing and Researching news and stories about global and local Pharmacy Issues

Will the issues revolving around complementary and alternate medicine (CAM) use ever be resolved?
Outcries from some respected science authorities deride all CAM as "witchcraft", yet most pharmacists would know of at least one good outcome from CAM.
For example, recent research into Traditional Chinese Medicine has uncovered the fact that some herbal remedies for the treatment of heart conditions, help to restore the nitrous oxide (NO) balance in the body, in part by converting nitrites and nitrates absorbed from foods, to beneficial NO (allowing proper dilation of blood vessels, subsequent reduction in blood pressure and gradual depletion of arterial plaque).
This information is now evidence-based, but will you see it appearing in mainstream medical publications?
It is my belief that while many critics of CAM definitely have a valid case for some complaint (particularly when patients are financially exploited), there are many "experts" that have been blind to information that could prove useful (and cheaper) for their patients, simply because they were unaware of the evidence available.
It is simply hidden from view under the sheer volume of total information that is being published and disseminated to health profesionals.
In February 2008 the respected BBC came under fire for providing information on CAM's and withdrew this popular service. I was unaware of this happening and have provided one of the media stories reporting the incident, for others who may have been unaware.
The BBC is a public broadcaster (like Australia's ABC) and serves the interests of the general population free from commercial pressure.
As 41% of people in the UK use CAM the decision to close down the service was certainly a controversial one.
A recent visit to the BBC site demonstrated some CAM news stories, mostly geared towards the potential problems that may be associated with its use.
This is a shame because the BBC are well placed to research evidence surrounding CAM's and provide a much needed and unbiased site for solid information.

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(NaturalNews) The BBC, Britain's venerable TV station known and respected worldwide for its impartiality and integrity, has suddenly closed down the Complementary Medicine section on its Health website (www.bbc.co.uk/health) .

This is believed to be in response to a curious and abnormal amount of letters and e-mails demanding that information on such therapies as homeopathy and cranial osteopathy be removed.

The BBC Health website is one of the most widely accessed websites in the world and has been online for almost 15 years. Its Complementary Medicine section had in excess of 40 pages on "alternative" therapies, objective evaluations, a practitioner 'search' facility, and other useful information. But the controllers of BBC Health have now decided to abandon all coverage of Complementary Medicine.

Recently, in the UK, there has been a concerted attack on "alternative" medicine from people like University College London Professor David Colquhoun who described 61 university complementary medicine courses (45 of them science degrees) as "gobbledygook". Professor Colquhoun went on to say that, "the teaching of complementary medicine under a science banner was worse than 'Mickey Mouse' degrees in golf management and baking..."

Another critic of "complementary" medicine is Michael Baum, Emeritus Professor of Surgery at University College London, who caused a storm by criticising Prince Charles's support for the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital (RLHH). "Homeopathy," says Professor Baum, "is no better than witchcraft." Criticising a £20 million refurbishment of the RLHH Professor Baum says that that money would have been better spent on drugs like Herceptin.

In May 2006, Prince Charles had addressed the World Health Assembly in Geneva to argue for homeopathy and its kindred therapies. The Prince urged a return to remedies "rooted in ancient traditions that intuitively understood the need to maintain balance and harmony with our minds, bodies and the natural world."

The decision by BBC controllers is a curious one, especially at a time when more than 40% of Britons use some form of "complementary" medicine and spend £1.6 billion pounds annually (Ernst). In Britain, the BBC is a public service broadcaster and its remit is to broadcast for the benefit of the public - not for commercial concerns. As public outrage begins to grow, we are sure to hear a lot more about this sinister development in the days and weeks ahead.

The BBC, in response to criticism of their action, says that the "complementary health section was incomplete and, therefore, not of a satisfactory editorial standard." They go on to say, "The BBC will continue to cover complementary health in other areas of its output, such as TV, radio and news programmes, and may reassess its complementary health content in future."

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