Synopsis:Complementary therapies (CAM) are widely used in the Australian community, including by young people and children. While generally safer that most pharmaceuticals, CAM may be unsafe due to interactions, side-effects, impurities or if proven treatments are discarded. This talk will cover how complementary therapies and therapists are regulated and used in practice in Australia, ethical dilemmas presented by their use in younger people, safety, evidence, and research.

Speaker:Associate Professor Marie Pirotta is a NHMRC Career Development Fellow at the Dept of General Practice, University of Melbourne. She has a long standing interest in how complementary therapies are used and their evidence-base. Marie is a member of the TGA’s Advisory Committee on Complementary Medicines and also chair of the RACGP’s National Standing Committee-Research. She is in part-time general practice in Clifton Hill.