GPs' attitudes toward complementary medicine

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) define complementary and alternative medicine as a group of 'diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine, as defined by our medical peers.' Since the 1990s the term 'integrative medicine' has gained increasing popularity and acceptance by doctors aligned with the importance of evidence based medicine and the demonstration of increasing nonorthodox therapies having a scientific basis. The RACGP-AIMA (The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners-Australasian Integrative Medicine Association) position paper on complementary medicine (CM) defines integrative medicine as 'the blending of conventional and natural/complementary medicines and/or therapies with the aim of using the most appropriate of either or both modalities to care for the patient as a whole'(2).