Complementary and alternative medicine, commonly known as CAM products, are the new up and becoming medical treatment found on the shelves of drug stores everywhere. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine defines CAM as “a group of diverse medical and healthcare systems, practices and products that are not generally considered part of the conventional medicine.” CAM products can be used alone or concurrently with other pharmaceutical products to enhance the effects of treatment (Vitale, 2012). There is a variety of CAM products including medication, treatment, foods, spices or vitamins.
The FDA does not approve CAM products, therefore consumers do not know if they are entirely safe or not. However, pharmacies sell …show more content…
These products are appealing to consumers because they are readily available for those without medical insurance and without paying a large amount of money out of pocket (Vitale, 2012). Consumers may also try out these products to give them an increased sense of control over their medical treatment. Unfortunately, CAM products do have a number of negatives. They can delay treatment and delay the medical issue. Another common concern is patients do not also tell their healthcare provider about the use of these products. Ultimately, they may experience drug interactions with prescribed drugs, or even failure in the prescribed treatment. Consumers may not consider these products medications or the fear the health care provider will criticise them (Vitale, …show more content…
An example of one drug that affects your immune system are steroid medications. These work by decreasing inflammation and reducing the activity of the immune system. If taken together, Echinacea will counteract the effects of a steroid medication (Kee, 2012). The most common steroid medication is a glucocorticoid (Rathee, 2013). The main glucocorticoid is Cortisol. This has antiinflammatory effects that is used to treat inflammatory, allergic and debilitating conditions. Many autoimmune disorders require a glucocorticoid, including multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis (Kee, 2012). It is very common for a person to be taken a glucocorticoid therefore it is important as a health care provider to ask your patients about their use of CAM products to decrease any possible
The FDA does not approve CAM products, therefore consumers do not know if they are entirely safe or not. However, pharmacies sell …show more content…
These products are appealing to consumers because they are readily available for those without medical insurance and without paying a large amount of money out of pocket (Vitale, 2012). Consumers may also try out these products to give them an increased sense of control over their medical treatment. Unfortunately, CAM products do have a number of negatives. They can delay treatment and delay the medical issue. Another common concern is patients do not also tell their healthcare provider about the use of these products. Ultimately, they may experience drug interactions with prescribed drugs, or even failure in the prescribed treatment. Consumers may not consider these products medications or the fear the health care provider will criticise them (Vitale, …show more content…
An example of one drug that affects your immune system are steroid medications. These work by decreasing inflammation and reducing the activity of the immune system. If taken together, Echinacea will counteract the effects of a steroid medication (Kee, 2012). The most common steroid medication is a glucocorticoid (Rathee, 2013). The main glucocorticoid is Cortisol. This has antiinflammatory effects that is used to treat inflammatory, allergic and debilitating conditions. Many autoimmune disorders require a glucocorticoid, including multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis (Kee, 2012). It is very common for a person to be taken a glucocorticoid therefore it is important as a health care provider to ask your patients about their use of CAM products to decrease any possible