Can doctors respond to patients' increasing interest in complementary and alternative medicine? Commentary: Special study modules and complementary and alternative medicine---the Glasgow experience

Patients are increasingly using complementary and alternative medicine, 1 2 and doctors are responding to this in several ways, from being enthusiastic and interested to mystified and critical.3-5 Complementary and alternative medicine incorporates several different approaches and methodologies,6 with techniques ranging from spiritual "healing" in cancer to nutritional interventions for premenstrual tension, acupuncture for pain relief, and manipulation for backache. In this article we encourage you to reflect on your understanding of complementary and alternative medicine in relation to your clinical practice, share some of the current initiatives in undergraduate and postgraduate familiarisation and training in this type of medicine, and explore the implications of education, support, and development.