The First European country to protect complimentary medicine within Constitution is Switzerland, with over 67 percent of voters in favour of the new Constitutional article.
It is now likely that complementary medicines will now be re-instated into the basic health care system available to all citizens.
Herbalism, Chinese Medicine and Homeopathy were removed from the health care system in 2004 and put into private health insurance.
The Constitutional article States that Federal government will ensure that within their scope of jurisdiction complimentary medicine will be taken into consideration.
There is greater recognition of natural therapists in Switzerland and a lot of regular work has already been done. With this article being passed it is showing that Switzerland is now becoming less two sided with orthodox medicine and alternative therapies coming together.
Professorships in alternative medicine are now being created in Swiss Universities,
so that one day students will be able to add complimentary therapies to their medical training and apply them to their practice. The Higher Education and Training Awards Council have begun validating complimentary therapy classes.
Swiss Parliament is to decide the measures to be taken in the following weeks. Complimentary therapy practitioners are to apply for inclusion into the basic health care system. The therapy must benefit and be appropriate for the patient, as well as being cost effective.
Pharmacist Jan De Vries hopes that Ireland may follow Switzerland’s’ lead with complementary medicine as with the Irish who are starting to get a better understanding of natural forms of medicine including traditional Chinese medicine and herbalism.
