Complementary medicine

The provision of complementary and alternative medicine occurs in a different therapeutic context from the provision of orthodox medicine based upon the level of available scientific evidence of efficacy and safety and in relation to the historical origins and healing philosophy of these modalities. Although medical ethics provides some guidance to what is ethical practice it is necessary to consider this different context in relation to the level of scientific evidence supporting the provision of particular modalities and the obligations upon a practitioner to provide information to a client and to refer to a medical doctor when required.