industry news and legislative updates

BRIAN BERMAN, MD NAMED RECIPIENT OF $100,000 BRAVEWELL LEADERSHIP AWARD FOR INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE

Dr. Brian Berman, one of the leading physicians in America to champion the growth of integrative medicine, was named by the Bravewell Collaborative as recipient of the 2005 Bravewell Leadership Award.  Dr. Berman is founder and director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, which was the first clinic of its kind in the nation. He has dedicated his career to the expansion of evidence-based  integrative care and is acclaimed for both his groundbreaking research studies, as well as his patient-centered treatment that focuses on the whole person – mind, body and spirit.

Dr. Berman is particularly noted for his landmark research study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in December 2004, which proved acupuncture is a safe and effective therapy in the treatment of arthritis. The study, one of the largest clinical trials of acupuncture ever done, is considered a model for how scientific testing can evaluate alternative therapies.  In October 2005, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) announced a $10 million grant to Dr. Berman to conduct additional evidence-based investigation to advance the understanding of the potential benefits and underlying mechanism of ancient Chinese medicine including acupuncture and herbal treatments.

A bio and photograph of Dr. Berman receiving the award available at: www.bravewell.org/press

ITraditional medicines congress calls for comments on "ideal Regulatory model"

Nine national organizations working together as the Traditional Medicines (TM) Congress* have released the first public draft of " A Proposed Regulatory Model for Traditional Medicines: Guiding Assumptions and Key Components."  This comprehensive document presents ideas for a new model for the regulation of traditional medicines in the United States, and will now be subject to an open review process by interested individuals and organizations.

The Medicinal Herb Consortium (MHC) joined with eight other organizations in the spring of 2004 to exchange ideas about the future of traditional medicines in the U.S.  The result of these discussions was the formation of the TM Congress.  In seeking to emphasize both the value of traditional medicines and the responsibilities that are associated with their use, it was agreed that:   

The goal of the Traditional Medicines Congress is to benefit public health by ensuring access to traditional medicines in a manner that provides a reasonable expectation of public safety.

"We are pleased to join forces with herbal practitioners and product makers in this effort to address one of the most critical issues affecting use of medicinal herbs," said Jean Giblette, MHC delegate to the TM Congress along with Leslie Gardner of the Sonoma County Herb Exchange.   The MHC considers the proposed model advantageous in that, while the current dietary supplement law would not be changed, recognition of Traditional Medicines as a new, distinct category could help win greater appreciation for farmers' ecologically-grown and responsibly wild-harvested products.

Anyone with an interest in traditional medicines is now invited to review the draft document that the TM Congress has developed.   A Proposed Regulatory Model for Traditional Medicines is posted online at:

http://www.ahpa.org/05_1129_TMCongress_ProposedModel.pdf

Comments can be emailed to TMCongressFeedback@pobox.com. The deadline for comments is March 31, 2006.

*Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Alliance (AOMA); American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP); American Association of Oriental Medicine (AAOM); American Herbalist Guild (AHG); American Herbal Products Association (AHPA); Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (CCAOM); Medicinal Herb Consortium (MHC); National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA); and National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).