Book review

Complementary therapies for pharmacists

by Steven Kayne. Published by Pharmaceutical Press,

2001. Pages 448, Price £24.95., ISBN 0-853-69430-3.

I must admit that it was with some trepidation that I

undertook to review this book being a sceptic when it

comes to many of the complementary and alternative

medical (CAM) therapies. However, regardless of one’s

personal position there is no denying the enormous

increase in the public’s demand for CAM treatments. Con-

sequently, healthcare practitioners and in this case

pharmacists are being increasingly expected to have a

working knowledge of CAM and its interface with

orthodox medicine.

Despite the author’s background in homeopathy he

reviews both the positive and negative trial results of this

complementary approach and admits ‘a great deal more

work is necessary to prove the efficacy of homeopathy to

the satisfaction of sceptical colleagues’. Indeed, this book

was not written with a view to providing irrefutable

evidence for CAM but to provide a balanced overview for

the practicing pharmacist, and to this end it is a great

success.

The book is divided into four parts:

’ General aspects of CAM. This section deals with the

classification of CAM, the approach to healing, the

demand for CAM, research into CAM and integrating

CAM into the UK healthcare system. This section sets the

scene for more detailed consideration of the individual

therapies.’ Therapies most appropriate to pharmacy with

guidance on how they can be integrated into practice

including homeopathy and anthroposophy, medical

herbalism, aromatherapy and flower remedy therapy.

’ Ethnic traditional therapies including Chinese and

Ayurvedic medicines. One of the least attractive treatment

regimens described in this section is an ayurvedic

treatment regimen known as pancha karma and involves

therapeutic vomiting, purgation, enemas, nasal aspiration

of herbs and therapeutic release of toxic blood.’ Other CAM therapies about which pharmacists

may be asked. For example, naturopathy, diagnostic

therapies (iridology, kinesiology), manual therapies (chiro-

practic, massage, osteopathy and reflexology) and mind

and body therapies (colour, crystal and music).

Each complementary approach is defined, followed

by sections on its history, theory, practice, evidence of

effectiveness and safety. The adverse effects of each

therapy are described and where applicable drug interac-

tions highlighted. Whilst the drug interactions of some

herbal preparations such as St John’s Wort are well

known, potential interactions involving other CAM

therapies are less well defined, e.g. aromatherapy oils

and warfarin. These obviously warrant further study.

Overall, this book is well researched, written in a very

readable style and presented in a logical sequence. Each

chapter is well referenced. Whilst being written for the

practising pharmacist this book provides a useful guide

for anyone with an interest in CAM therapies. Like myself,

on reading this book you may still be unconvinced

regarding the effectiveness of many of the complementary

treatments described but you will have a good overview of

the subject.

Trevor N. JohnsonAcademic Unit of Molecular Pharmacology and Pharmacogenetics, Division

of Clinical Sciences, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield S10 2JF

Correspondence: Dr Trevor N. Johnson, Academic Unit of

Molecular Pharmacology and Pharmacogenetics, Division of

Clinical Sciences, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield S10 2JF.

f 2002 Blackwell Science Ltd Br J Clin Pharmacol, 54, 187 187