Self Care: Self Harm

On Sunday evening (10^th February) the current affairs program 60 minutes aired a piece called ‘Trick or Treatment’, which examined extreme reactions to products, some of which are not listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG). Australia has one of the strictest and most developed regulatory systems regarding the manufacture of complementary medicines in the world. The ARTG takes a risk-based approach with a three-tiered system (exempt; low risk and high risk) for regulating all medicines (including complementary medicines). The majority of complementary medicines are listed as low risk on the ARTG. With this in mind it is important to note that some of the products mentioned were not listed on the ARTG and all were not prescribed by a suitably qualified health professional.

Self-prescribing is unfortunately something I commonly see. I strongly recommend consumers to always seek advice from an accredited practitioner before taking any complementary medicine. As an Australian qualified and registered Naturopath, herbalist and nutritionist, I adhere to strict quality and ingredient laws which is why I almost exclusively recommend ‘practitioner only products’.

When using complementary medicines always:

•     Seek professional advice and remain under professional care whilst taking complementary        medicine;
•        Use ARTG listed products only;
•        Follow the label/prescription instructions and warning statements.

To add some balance to this story, it should be noted that more than 600, 000 Australians present at hospital each year as a result of medication errors, inappropriate use, misadventure and interactions. According to the Medicine Safety: Take Care report developed by the Quality Use of Medicines and Pharmacy Research Centre at the University of South Australia, the yearly cost of medicine-related problems in Australia exceeds one billion dollars.

The Pharmacy Research Centre President, Dr Chris Freeman stated:

‘If medicine harm was a chronic disease it would already be a national health priority. This report highlights that governments, pharmacists and other health professionals need to work together to reduce the alarming incidence of medication errors, misadventure, misuse and interactions.’ https://www.psa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/PSA-Medicine-Safety-Report.pdf

What the Medicine Safety report highlights is the significant adverse effect on humans of using prescribed and regulated medications, the prevalence of which far exceeds that of complementary medicines. The study further points out that half (50%) of these adverse reactions could have been prevented, suggesting that human error may have been involved. It's important to acknowledge here that biochemically speaking, the human body can be highly nuanced. Put simply, something which is safe and beneficial for the vast majority can be poison for a particular minority. Predicting which individuals fall into that minority can sometimes be like finding a needle in a haystack - seemingly impossible to find until you accidentally get poked.  

I guess the take-home message is to always seek professional guidance when taking any type of medication and remain under the care if that professional whilst you are taking it. 

Finally, I do hope you continue to enjoy the benefits of complementary medicine in a safe and supported manner, and also that you enjoy this glorious day x.