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Natural alternatives

¹ NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Glasgow, UK
² Mansionhouse Unit, Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow, UK

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
D S Morrison
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Dalian House, PO Box 15329, 350 St Vincent Street, Glasgow G3 8YZ, UK; david.morrison@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

The first 100% of the full text of this article appears below.

Patients may choose alternative medicine because it is more congruent with their own values, beliefs and philosophical orientations,¹ or because of concerns about possible side effects of conventional treatments.² Whatever the evidence of the efficacy³ or safety⁴ of Chinese medicines, there is certainly a convenient choice of alternatives in Glasgow, UK.

View larger version (102K):   Figure 1  Chinese Medicine Centre with pharmacy next door.

1. Astin AJ. Why patients use alternative medicine: results of a national study. JAMA 1998;279:1548–53.
2. Sharples MF, van Haselen Fisher P NHS patients’ perspective on complementary medicine: a survey. Complement Ther Med 2003;11:243–8.[CrossRef][Medline]
3. Tang LJ, Zhan YS, Ernst E. Review of randomised controlled trials of traditional Chinese medicine. BMJ 1999;319:160–1.[Free Full Text]
4. Medicines Control Agency. Safety of herbal medicinal products. London: Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, 2002.