The School of Natural and Complementary Medicine at Southern Cross Univerity

A survey conducted by SCU at the end of 1995 in this region showed that 2:3 people were using complementary medicine. This is borne out in a paper by McLennan, published in the Lancet in 1995, that showed 1:2 Australians used complementary medicine.

A qualified general practitioner, Dr Myers decided in the first year of his naturopathy diploma that he also wanted to study medicine. Taking to heart the concept of holism, he felt that a qualification in naturopathy would leave him only part-trained. He believes his training in both disciplines has allowed him to straddle both camps.

Dr Myers practised naturopathy as a profession until the end of third year medicine. After graduating as a doctor, he established a specialised general practice in natural and complementary medicine. He is also heavily involved in research and is currently writing his PhD in clinical pharmacology on 'The effect of garlic on cardiovascular risk factors'. His interests lie across all spectrums: research, education and clinical.

Complementary medicine has undergone something of a metamorphosis in recent years. From being the antithesis to medicine as taught in the universities to achieving a grudging acceptance in many quarters and an enthusiastic embracing in others, complementary and natural medicines are inching into the mainstream. The public has had much to do with this change; being quicker to embrace it has sped up its acceptance in the mainstream medical community.

Even the old term to describe this medicine - alternative - was in itself an indicator of its low level of acceptance in the mainstream said Dr Myers. The change in mindset that now increasingly accepts the term complementary illustrates this reversal. Part of the wish, he said, was to shift the understanding by professionals in the field; that what they were practising was not an alternative to mainstream medicine, but an adjunct.

Degree courses in the subject and continuing research could only serve to improve peer acceptance of graduates, Dr Myers said. SCUís naturopathy degree is the first course of this nature run in Australia and it is the only one set up to educate in western natural medicine.

'We have a very rich tradition in regards to western natural medicine dating back to pre-Egyptian times and the ancient Greek and Roman cultures,' he said.

'Eastern people understand the reasons why many remedies have been incorporated into their cultures. For example, the Chinese eat gingko nut soup for its culinary and nutritional value, but they also take it as a tonic soup because they know it is good for their health.

'We seem to have lost that. In our culture the advent of antibiotics and pharmaceutical drugs has seen us let go of a lot of our more traditional approaches. We are now coming back to a balance between the two.'

Some argue there is no evidence to support the use of herbal medicine. Dr Myers disputes this, claiming there is in fact a wealth of evidence. He said there may even be an argument that some medical practitioners were negligent for not informing themselves of the uses and benefits of herbal medicine.

'I have a degree of compassion for GPs who have no awareness of this field - some of them now have patients who are more aware than they are.'

The annual $1b turnover in natural medicine is equal to the amount the public spends on pharmaceuticals, according to Dr Myers. In recognition that this field of medicine has expanded to such a degree it needs regulatory control, the Federal government has established COMEC (Complementary Medicine Evaluation Committee). It is an expert advisory committee to the government, which will also be a regulatory committee, set up along the lines of ADEC (the Australian Drug Evaluation Committee).

Dr Myers said SCUís course was initially opposed by many medical academics, but that it was increasingly recognised as a source of common sense and scientific information. The four year course is underpinned by medical science and is both laboratory and clinical based. Its aims are the education of a new class of naturopathy graduates, who have the capactiy to talk the language of medicine, be competent health professionals and a part of the community health team.

Graduates of the course were not alternative doctors, stressed Dr Myers. They needed to work with GPs and refer on to GPs.

The school also aims to provide an educational, academic base for people within the medical sphere - mostly GPs - so they can understand this field.

To that end, Dr Myers and his team are producing a handbook for GPs outlining the sort of information they would want to know, such as the reasons people might be taking certain natural substances, contra-indications, adverse effects, toxology, and so on. This booklet should be available early next year.

The development of a post-graduate diploma specifically tailored to GPs is being seriously considered and Dr Myers hopes this will be underway by the start of 1999. The school will also look to develop the diploma as a distance education course, which would be a first in Australia.

Additionally, the school is in negotiation with colleagues in the Faculty of Medicine in Newcastle to run workshops for GPs looking at evidence based natural medicine.

Dr Myers has expressed an interest in involving GPs in studys in complementary medicine in this area and in working with GPs to undertake research. He hopes to establish mutually beneficial links betweeen GPs and the School of Natural and Complementary Medicine.