Washington (H24N). Since alternatives to standard medical therapies are being increasingly used by the public the federal government is inviting private citizens to provide input on the future of what is known as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).

The White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy, which was commissioned in March of this year, began a series of town hall meetings on CAM in September, at which public input is the only item on the agenda. The first meeting was in San Francisco on Sept. 8, and the second will be held in Seattle, Wash., Oct. 30-31. The commission’s first Washington, D.C., expert testimony meeting took place at the Department of Health and Human Services on Oct. 5 and 6. The commission will base its formal policy recommendation report, which will be given to the president in March 2002, on the information it gathers from these meetings.

A survey published by David Eisenberg, MD, in the Nov. 11, 1998, issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association reported that 42 percent of Americans used an alternative therapy in 1997, the most popular being herbal medicines, massage, megavitamins, self-help groups, energy healing and homeopathy. Americans spent more than $27 billion on these therapies in 1997, more than all out-of-pocket spending for hospitalizations in the United States that year. The same article revealed that 75 out of 117 American medical schools offered elective courses in CAM or included CAM topics in required courses, and more than 60 percent of U.S. doctors from a wide range of specialties had recommended alternative therapies to their patients at least once, and 47 percent had used them themselves.

On March 7 of this year, President Clinton signed Executive Order 13147, forming the commission and instructing it to provide a report to the president, through the secretary of Health and Human Services, on legislative and administrative recommendations that will ensure that public policy maximizes the benefits of complementary and alternative medicine for the American public. Four broad issues will be addressed in the report, and the public will be asked to comment on them at the meetings:

Commission Chairman James S. Gordon, MD, said at a press briefing Oct. 5 that in 30 years of working in Washington, he has never seen anything elicit so much bipartisan consensus and such high interest at all levels of government as the commission, adding that it was an unprecedented place where "people with [completely] polarized views come together and work together." Legislation to create the commission was introduced by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), and the commission has broad-based support that includes Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.), Rep. Charles Wrangle (D-N.Y.) and Newt Gingrich.

The first Washington meeting focused on research. Panels covered how to choose CAM research the public wants; what kind of support was being offered for CAM research from federal agencies, academic centers, the private sector and the not-for-profit sector; CAM research and regulatory challenges; research collaborations under way and the results of research done so far. There was one 45-minute public comment session each day.

The Seattle meeting Oct. 30-31 will take place at the Town Hall of Seattle, Wash., at 1119 Eighth Ave. People wishing to speak at the meeting must register by Oct. 23, and may do so by calling 800-953-3298 or registering online. Public comments are limited to five minutes each.

The next Washington meeting will take place Dec. 4-5. People who wish to speak should e-mail or call the commission at 301-435-7592.

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