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White House Releases Recommendations on Alternative Meds

Aired March 25, 2002 - 14:45   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The market for alternative medicine is a big one in this country. The government says as many as 43 percent of Americans use products such as herbal and dietary supplements. And, while these supplements are not regulated by the federal government, a White House commission today released its recommendations on alternative medicines. Our medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, here to talk more about the list and what happens.

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It's really interesting. I was surprised at one of the statistics: 4 out of 10 people use some form of alternative therapy, from hypnosis to acupuncture to herbs, to some sort of promised Internet wonder drug. Four out of 10 people. So, not surprising that then-President Clinton, back in 2000, appointed a White House commission made up of doctors, physical therapists -- all sorts of different people in the health care profession -- to look into this, evaluate alternative and complementary medicines. Evaluate them, oversee them, all these sorts of things.

And now finally, two years later, they're starting to release some of their findings. Included among them: overall improved awareness about alternative and complementary medicines, require registration for some of these medications with the FDA, so we can really find out where they are, what sort of medications they might interact with.

Pay for research -- this is where it gets a little bit more contentious -- pay for research about these alternative medicines. And finally, perhaps even create some reimbursement, so that doctors and health care professionals actually get reimbursed for alternative therapies, complementary therapies. That's where it gets more...

HEMMER: What kind of stuff are you talking about?

GUPTA: You know, in any of these sort of things: hypnosis, acupuncture, even, you know, ginkgo, something I know you've taken in the past. Things like that that might actually be reimbursed.

And then the controversy, and why it's becoming contentious is that people are saying, listen, we have these gold standard, scientifically-proven therapies that have worked, and we're having a hard time even paying for those. How is it that we're going to be able to afford to pay for these alternative and complementary medications, if we're concerned about Medicare and Medicaid possibly going bankrupt?

HEMMER: Yes, you're a doctor. What do you think?

GUPTA: Well, you know, it's interesting. I do think that complementary and alternative medicine has been given the reputation by a lot of physicians as being full of quackery, things like that. I think that there's probably more to it than that. I think there are probably some real therapies out there that we've haven't had a chance to check into, haven't had a chance to evaluate.

Once we start doing that, we might find some things that surprise us, that actually work. I'm not talking about a new herb that's going to treat breast cancer, necessarily, but things that actually improve the way that we live our lives. I think it's out there.

HEMMER: Ever been hypnotized?

GUPTA: I haven't. I haven't.

HEMMER: I have. Years ago in college, I went about halfway. And I was just frozen there for about 30 minutes.

GUPTA: Really.

HEMMER: Yes, I was aware of everything else that was going on around me, but I could not move.

GUPTA: That means you have an increases power of concentration, when you can be hypnotized.

HEMMER: Well, I doubt that too.

(LAUGHTER)

HEMMER: Thanks, Sanjay.

GUPTA: Good seeing you, Bill.

HEMMER: You too, pal.

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