CMed: Countering misuse of complementary medicine
When patients self-assess, they may not understand the interaction between the chemical components of drugs and complementary medicine which can pose harmful results.
KUALA LUMPUR: There has been an increase in the demand for complementary medicine and therapy in the country, of late.
However, the public generally has a vague idea of what constitutes a complementary treatment.
Some assume it is the home remedies handed down from generation to generation while others believe it is the health tips that have been widely shared on social media.
Most of these information are not scientifically proven to be safe or effective.
The growing interest in beauty and strength these days has also led to a boost in the sale and consumption of supplements and vitamins.
What many are not aware of is that not everyone needs vitamins. An overdose could actually cause serious harm to the liver and kidney.
What is even more worrisome is the number of parents who are uneducated on the issue but keen to get their hands on supplements that claim to be able to increase their children's academic performance.
Amrahi Buang, Malaysian Pharmaceutical Society president
Complementary medicine According to the World Health Organisation ( WHO), the term 'complementary medicine' or 'alternative medicine' refer to a broad set of healthcare practices that are not part of that country's own tradition or conventional medicine, and are not fully integrated into the dominant healthcare system.
Complementary medicine includes vitamins, minerals, nutritional oils and herbal medicines.
The Ministry of Health ( MOH) is supporting efforts to integrate traditional and complementary medicine with modern medicine and has taken steps to make sure traditional and complementary medicine is of high quality and safe to use by consumers.
According to the the ministry's official portal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine Division, the government is striving to develop this field further since Malaysia has an abundance of natural resources that can be developed into health products.
It said that traditional and complementary medicine will become an important component in the country's healthcare system and along with modern medicine, will improve the level of health and quality of life of Malaysians. CMed programme Realising the importance of keeping up to date with the evolving healthcare industry, the Malaysian Pharmaceutical Society ( MPS) collaborated with the Blackmore Institute in developing a structured learning course called the Complementary Medication Education ( CMed) programme for its members.
Its president Amrahi Buang explained that CMed is an educational programme that shares the latest updates in complementary medicine, which includes a comprehensive review of vitamins, minerals, nutritional oils and herbal medicines.
He said that it was important for pharmacists to have an overall understanding of both conventional and complementary medicine.
“When patients self-assess, they may not understand the interaction between the chemical components of drugs and complementary medicine which can pose harmful results.
“A pharmacist understands the interaction between supplements and drugs and take into consideration the possible side effects and the added benefits, which enables their patients to manage their health better,” he elaborated.
According to Amrahi, pharmacists who complete and pass all the modules would receive a CMed accreditation, in recognition of their expertise in complementary medicine.
“Such knowledge would enable a pharmacist to provide an added value to consumers and advise them on a holistic approach to healthcare,” he said.
To date, over 400 pharmacists have been recognised as CMEd accredited pharmacists after successfully completing all the modules, while over 200 more are on the way to completing the course.
Consumers can consult these CMEd pharmacists on their dietary supplement needs, ways to lessen side effects of certain drugs and even general interaction of complementary and conventional medicine.
“Consumers with various health goals and interests can benefit from this consultation, from those who are keen on improving their energy level to those who are pregnant,” he said. Pharmacists benefit too A retail community pharmacist Koo Chan Yee, who has a CMed accreditation, used to believe that complementary medicine was ineffective in improving health outcomes.
His opinion changed once he started conducting his own research on supplements and even more so after enrolling in the CMed programme.
“Complementary medicine offers preventive measures, ailment treatment and also drugcaused side effect alleviation.
“In my professional experience, patients on statins have benefited from CoQ10 supplements, aiding relief from their muscle cramps,” he shared.
Statins are a class of drugs often prescribed by doctors to help lower cholesterol levels in the blood, while CoQ10 or Coenzyme Q10 is an antioxidant produced by the body in cells growth and maintenance.
Koo said the knowledge he gained from the programme helped him in advising the right dosage of supplements to ensure positive outcomes, as many consumers are unaware that the dosage of complementary medicine plays a huge role in efficacy.
Those who wish to locate CMed accredited pharmacists in their area can browse through www. blackmores.com.my/cmed.
Pharmacists interested in the programme can obtain more information from www. blackmoreinstitute.org website or by contacting MPS. — Bernama