Research evaluates cultural appropriateness of complementary medicines for diverse communities, suggesting improved health professional practices.
Background: Health professionals are major contributors to culturally appropriate complementary medicines, both at a patient level and at a community level. In Australia, there are many culturally diverse groups, all have varying belief systems which can contribute to their choices in complementary medicines. This research project will demonstrate culturally appropriate approaches regarding complementary medicines for health professionals. Aim: To evaluate cultural appropriateness regarding complementary medicines and investigate whether they are deemed suitable for various cultural communities.Method: Using the Australian Pharmaceutical Formulary 25 (APF 25), ten of the 52 complementary medicines mentioned were selected. To determine the most frequently purchased complementary medicines, data was collected from two pharmacies via on-site visits. Results: Evidence was identified for 30 (86%) products, all containing bovine. Cross contamination was witnessed mostly with product exposure to gluten or lactose, with five items containing no evidence of suggested ingredients. Conclusion: This study developed a tool, containing information regarding culturally appropriate complementary medicines. Having a tool that compiles this information will speed up the process for both the pharmacist and the patient, it will also assist the pharmacist in delivering patient-centred care appropriately.
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Al-jiboori et al. (2023) studied this question.
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