Unconventional Therapies Such as Herbal Medicines - Research Paper Example

?Conventional Medicine Vs. Modern (Such As Herbs Are Herbs Ethical? Unconventional therapies such as herbal medicines have been in use fora long time. Their use has been successful in most instances, however, little is known to the physician and the herbalist about their contents and the harm it can bring to the patient. Some have been considered as conventional medicine because of their benefits. However, not all herbal medicines are beneficial and they have raised ethical concerns in the medical field. This is because; they tend to contain harmful substances though they are beneficial to the patient. Thus, it is important to understand the ethical issues raised by the use of unconventional medicines in treatment of various conditions. Conventional Medicine vs. Modern Medicine Traditional medicine is an ancient and culture-oriented medical practice, which was in existence in the human societies before the use of modern science in health. The traditional medicine practice varies widely and they attempt to keep the cultural and societal heritage of different nations. The human community responds to treatment of diseases and maintenance of health through the development of a medical system. Thus, the traditional medicine practice is evident in almost all cultures. The traditional medicine practice is mainly relies on personal experience and conventional use. The benefit of traditional medicine and majority of modern medical treatments have not been assesses using contemporary scientific methods. Extensive accounts of experiences and use from one generation to the other offers some evidence that traditional medicine is effective. However, there is need for scientific research to offer additional evidence to the safety and effectiveness of the traditional medicines (World Health Organization [WHO], 2000). Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is used by most of the Americans as they pursue health and well-being. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a group of various health care and medical systems, and products currently not regarded as part of the conventional medicine. Complementary medicine is utilized together with conventional medicine. On the other hand, alternative medicine is utilized in place of conventional medicine. CAM practices are divided into different categories such as body-based practices, manipulative practices, mind and body medicine, and natural products (National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine [NCCAM], 2011). Herbal Medicines In the category of natural products, there are various minerals, vitamins, herbal medicines (also referred to as botanicals), and other natural products. Of great importance in this study are the herbal medicines. Botanical or herbal medicines indicate some of the earliest attempts to enhance the human condition (NCCAM, 2011). MedlinePlus (2010) defines an herb as part of a plant or a plant used for its flavor, therapeutic, or scent properties. People take herbal medicine products as dietary supplements to improve their health. Most of the herbs have been used for quite a long time because of their claimed health benefits. However, not all herbs have health benefits, some cause health problems, others are not effective and others fail to interact well with other drugs the patient is taking (MedlinePlus, 2010). Are Herbs Ethical? There are volumes of literature that offer examples of patients who have been cured of their diseases and ailments through the use of unconventional therapies such as meditation, herbal therapies, and acupuncture. However, the basis of most of these reports is on poorly managed clinical trials or testimonials. Thus, it has become a big dilemma for the physicians to properly measure the benefit of unconventional therapy for the patients. There are cases where the patient may demand the use of unconventional therapy for his or her condition or for someone they have control over. For instance, a case is given where a mother demanded that the caregivers use “unconventional therapy to treat her infant who was recovering from septic shock. Specifically, the staff were to give this infant a tea prepared from unknown ingredients that was prescribed by a lay herbalist” (Frankel, 2005, p16). Though unconventional therapy has been used to various psychological and medical problems, its use for critically ill children is rare. Thus, the physician is forced to face a number of ethical issues. When making therapeutic decisions, the physician has to follow ethical principles of non-maleficence, beneficence, justice, and autonomy. In non-maleficence, the physician has to think about the possible harm of the unconventional therapy to the patients. Beneficence entails making use of the treatments based on the value they give. Justice involves treating the same cases in a similar manner, and in autonomy, accepting the fact that different individuals can judge benefits in a different way. It is important to note that unconventional therapy does not meet the standards of ethical principles of beneficence and non-maleficence. Since they fail to meet the standards of these principles, the physician cannot be obliged to offer unconventional therapy. Physicians are only forced to offer therapy that will probably improve the outcome of the patient (Frankel, 2005). In the case mentioned, the mother of the critically ill child has been using herbal therapies for a long time. The special herbal tea she has been using has relieved from chronic headaches, an area in which the conventional medicines have failed. However, the precise amount of the contents of her herbal tea prescribed by the lay herbalist is not known. The lay herbalist has also prescribed another tea having unknown mixture of herbs to the child for ingestion and rubbing on her chest. In such a scenario, one may ask if the herbal medicine is harmful or beneficial. It is important to state that herbal therapies may have no effect or result in harm or benefit. Herbal therapies such as aspirin are beneficial and they have become standard conventional medicines. Some of the herbal therapies for asthma have no clinical effects (examples include lemon and eucalyptus tea) and others are contaminated with poisons such as arsenic and lead (Frankel, 2005). Thus, some herbal therapies are ethical while others are not. Ethical herbal therapies can be considered as herbal therapies that meet the standards of ethical principles. Unethical herbal therapies can be considered as herbal therapies that do not meet the standards of ethical principles. The harm in herbal therapies are because of the adulteration, contamination, and toxicity. For instance, Teucrium chamaedrys is a plant utilized by people who want to lose weight; however, the plant can cause hepatitis. Thus, this herbal plant though beneficial to some extent it fails to meet the ethical principles of non-maleficence and beneficence. This herbal therapy can be considered unethical since it brings more harm than the benefits. In the above-mentioned case, the child was to ingest the tea to enhance her immune system. The herbalist’s point of view is that the herbal tea is beneficial. The physician’s point of view is that the unknown therapy subjected to the infant is a dangerous experiment. Thus, the unconventional therapy proposed by the lay herbalist does not meet the standards of non-maleficence (Frankel, 2005). It is important to note that herbal medicine entails giving the patient active substances. The main ethical issue for the herbalists is to give the patients enough information to enable them to make informed choices when consenting to the treatment. The information should include information such as the possible effects of the treatment, “the alternatives to the treatment being offered, and possible interactions with other conventional and non-conventional treatments, where these are known” (Stone, 2002, p233). Herbalists can think of the amount of information they are supposed to give the patients in cases where they are mixing a remedy from various herbs. One might ask if the patient has to know the exact breakdown and the risks linked with each herb utilized. The answer to the question is yes because if the patient has to make a conclusive choice (Stone, 2002). The Lessons and What the Patients Should Know Unconventional therapies such as herbal medicines have both beneficial and harmful effects. For herbal therapies to be considered ethical, they must fulfill the standards of ethical principles. Most of the herbal therapies fail to meet the needs of non-maleficence and beneficence ethical principles. These two principles attempt to maximize benefits and reduce harm to the patient. Thus, if an herbal therapy does more harm than good, it can be considered unethical to use the herb for any treatment. The patient, herbalist, and the physician do not know most of the contents in herbal medicines. Thus, it becomes very difficult for the physician to know if the herbal medicine will bring benefits or harm to the patient. It will be unethical if the physician administers an herbal medicine that will eventually bring more harm to the patient. The patients should be aware of the contents of the herbal medicines the herbalist or the physician tries to administer to them. The information will assist the patient in making informed choice about the therapy. There are herbal medicines that have been approved as beneficial and they are even considered as conventional medicine. These therapies are well known to the physicians and the likelihood of bringing any harm to the patient is less. Others such as asthma herbal medicines have toxins in them and they are not fit for the patient though they cure the condition. References Frankel, L. R. (2005). Ethical dilemmas in pediatrics: Cases and commentaries. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. MedlinePlus. (2010). Herbal medicine. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/herbalmedicine.html National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. (2011). What is complementary and alternative medicine? Retrieved from http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/ Stone, J. (2002). An ethical framework for complementary and alternative therapists. London, UK: Routledge. World Health Organization. (2000). Traditional and modern medicine: Harmonizing the two approaches. Manila, Philippines: Author. Read More