The Order of Physicians is concerned about therapeutic drift. In an interview with the regional newspaper West of France, Dr. Claire Siret delivers the conclusions of an organization report on the “drifts” of “unconventional care practices”. She recommends reserving the term “medicine” for conventional care, to the exclusion of parallel practices.
The title of “unconventional care practices” includes, according to the government, “complementary, alternative and natural medicine”: osteopathy, chiropractic, hypnosis, mesotherapy, auriculotherapy, acupuncture, etc.
Practices that have the “common point (…) that are not scientifically recognized by conventional medicine, nor taught during the initial training of health professionals”, as specified in a file on the health.gouv site .fr.
The Order says it is concerned about the many abuses of these practices that can “put patients at risk”:
“There is a way of trivializing unconventional care practices, and it is dangerous […] they remain wellness practices and do not replace therapies, at the risk of endangering patients”, explains Claire Siret to West of France.
“Falsely reassuring atmosphere”
If the Order wishes to reserve the term “medicine” for recognized practices, it is because vagueness presents risks. “Today it is not forbidden to use the word medicine. The terms natural medicine, alternative medicine give a falsely reassuring framework. The term medicine must be absolutely protected from excesses,” warns the doctor.
In addition, the rapporteur specifies that the term “doctor” should also be regulated. The purpose, which psychologist cannot not to record “doctor in unspecified plate [qu’il] he is not a medical doctor.” Both of these requests could be included in the public health code.
Source: BFM TV
