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.