Ignorance of herbal medicine should not blind modern medicine to its benefits, according to the Director of the new Australian Centre for Complementary Medicine Education and Research (ACCMER), a joint venture of the University of Queensland (UQ) and Southern Cross University (SCU).
“Orthodox medical purists are kidding themselves if they believe that there is no place for herbal medicine in mainstream healthcare,” said ACCMER Director, Professor Stephen Myers, who holds a medical degree, a doctorate in clinical pharmacology and is also a qualified naturopath.
“Ignorance about how herbal medicine can assist in the healing process is no reason to blindly oppose the use of any medicines that benefit the health of the community,” Professor Myers said.
Australia’s leaders in complementary medicine research will take part in an international conference later this month in Brisbane, being organised by ACCMER, the National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology at UQ, and the Cellulose Valley Project of SCU.
A one-day ‘Complementary Medicine Research Symposium’ will be held on Tuesday, March 26, to showcase the latest in research in the field. It will be followed by a two-day conference ‘Naturally Safe: The Challenge to the Herbal Medicine Industry’, March 27-28, for academics and industry to discuss such issues as regulation of herbal medicines, and how best to ensure safety.
“The forum is the first opportunity to showcase Australia`s primary complementary medicine research centres, and to discuss contemporary Australian research and trends - including quality control and safety issues - in complementary medicine,” said Professor Myers, who is based at SCU’s Lismore, northern NSW campus.
Organisations to be represented at the symposium include the World Health Organisation (WHO), Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), Complementary Healthcare Council (CHC), and the Medical Toxicology Unit of Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital Trust in the UK.
Major complementary medicine research centres participating include those from the Universities of Sydney, Western Sydney, Monash, Swinburne, Queensland, and Southern Cross University, as well as the Sydney Royal Women’s Hospital, and the Victorian Complementary and Alternative Medicine Research Centre Project. The forum is sponsored by Mayne Health Consumer Products.
For more information see: www.uq.edu.au/accmer.
Media enquiries contact: Sara Crowe, Directorate of Marketing and External Relations, SCU, Ph: 02 6620 3144, or Marlene McKendry, UQ, Ph: 07 3346 4713, M: 0401 996847.
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