News

Norway

As in Britain, complementary medicine is completely deregulated and can be practised by anyone. Homoeopaths have their own voluntary regulatory organisation, the Union of Norwegian Homoeopaths, which runs private training courses leading to a diploma. Some homoeopathic practitioners are also medical doctors, as in France and Britain, but unlike in France, training in homeopathy is entirely private and self-financed.

Consultations with an alternative therapist are self funded, as are general practice consultations. Hospitals, which are state funded, offer only conventional medicine.

Research into complementary medicine is limited to studies conducted by individual companies on their own products. There is no state funding available for research in this area.

The Norwegian government has been reluctant to embrace complementary medicine, offering little or no funding for treatments, training, or reasearch. However, a new piece of legislation was introduced this year, which legitimates a new category of health care products, termed "natural medicinal products." These would previously have been registered either as commercial or as medicinal products. This brings the Norwegian authorities into line with most other European countries, and protects against misleading advertising. Natural medicinal products may now not be promoted as a definite cure for any particular illness. Only five products have been accepted under the new regulations to date, which are remedies for colds, insomnia, and poor circulation.

Attitudes to non-conventional medicine diverge widely; while public demand appears to be rising, doctors remain hostile. Some refer to homoeopathy as "the old arch enemy." The Norwegian Medical Association is soon to publish a report outlining its view of complementary medicine. Dr Jon Nessa, chairman of the committee of doctor homoeopaths and conventional doctors who are producing the report, refuses to accept complementary practices. "I am critical of the entire way these people think, because it is naive," he said. "Complementary medicine is a foolish concept, because it embraces everything, from praying for your neighbour to acupuncture. The medical profession can never relate to it. Theoretical and complementary medicine are mutually exclusive ways of thinking."--LEIV GUNNAR LIE, medical correspondent, Norway

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?