Guidelines on Developing Consumer Information on Proper Use of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Acknowledgements

Guidelines on Developing Consumer Information on Proper Use of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine
(2004; 109 pages)

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
Foreword
Preface
Glossary
1. General Considerations
	1.1 The benefits of TM/CAM
	1.2 The risks involved in the use of TM/CAM
	1.3 Proper use of TM/CAM by consumers
	1.4 Additional important aspects for the proper use of TM/CAM
2. Development of Consumer Information
	2.1 Cultural influence
	2.2 Health system structure
	2.3 Utilization
3. General Principles and Activities for Ensuring Reliable TM/CAM Information
	3.1 How to develop reliable information
	3.2 Dissemination of information
		3.2.1 TM/CAM information centre
		3.2.2 TM/CAM surveillance system
		3.2.3 The media
		3.2.4 Other information activities
		3.2.5 Activities promoting rational use of medicines
	3.3 Regulatory mechanisms for information and advertisements
4. Topics to Consider when Developing Consumer Information Promoting Proper Use of TM/CAM
	4.1 General information
	4.2 Where to find reliable information
	4.3 How to identify reliable information
	4.4 TM/CAM medication therapies
		4.4.1 Therapeutic claims
		4.4.2 Quality
		4.4.3 Precautions
		4.4.4 Adverse events
		4.4.5 Potent and/or toxic TM/CAM medication therapies
		4.4.6 Interactions and contraindications
		4.4.7 Posology
		4.4.8 Methods of administration
		4.4.9 Self-medication
		4.4.10 Preparation of TM/CAM medication therapies
		4.4.11 Children, pregnant or lactating women and the elderly
	4.5 Procedure-based TM/CAM therapies
		4.5.1 Therapeutic claims
		4.5.2 Precautions
	4.6 Practitioners
	4.7 Pricing and health insurance coverage
5. Use of this Publication
References
Annexes
	Annex I. Leaflets Promoting Proper Use of TM/CAM Published by the Department of Health, Hong Kong SAR, China
	Annex II. Things to Know about Evaluating Medical Resources on the Internet*
	Annex III Medical Products on the Internet: A Guide to Finding Reliable Information
	Annex IV Licence Symbol, Swissmedic¹
	Annex V. Selected WHO Publications and Documents on Traditional Medicine
	Annex VI. List of Participants
Back Cover

Acknowledgements

The World Health Organization greatly appreciates the financial and technical support provided by the Regional Government of Lombardy, Italy, for the development and publication of these guidelines, as a part of the implementation of collaborative projects with WHO in the field of traditional medicine. The Region of Lombardy kindly hosted and provided financial support for the WHO Consultation on proper use of traditional medicine and complementary/alternative medicine by consumers, held in Milan, Italy, in December 2003.

In addition, WHO also greatly appreciates the financial support provided by the Government of Sweden through the Swedish Expertise Funds for the drafting and revision of the guidelines.

WHO is also indebted to the more than 290 reviewers, including experts and national authorities, in over 102 countries who provided comments and advice on the draft texts, and for the technical support received from relevant United Nations agencies, international organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including consumer associations.

Special thanks are due to participants of the WHO Consultation on proper use of traditional medicine and complementary/ alternative medicine by consumers, who worked towards reviewing and finalizing the draft guidelines (see Annex VI); and to the WHO Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine at the State University of Milan, Italy, in particular to Professor Umberto Solimene, the Director, and to Miss Elisabetta Minelli, the International Liaison Officer, for their assistance to WHO in organizing the Consultation.

Acknowledgement for the preparation of the original text is due to: Dr Torkel Falkenberg; Ms Johanna Hök; and Ms Suzanna Schönström of Sweden.

Finally, WHO thanks the Department of Health, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China; Swissmedic, Switzerland; and the WHO Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine at the National Center on Alternative and Complementary Medicine, National Institutes of Health (NIH), United States, for agreeing to waive their respective copyright fees on consumer information developed by them and included as Annexes to these guidelines.