The Pseudoscientific Characteristic of Traditional and Alternative Medicines
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32871/rmrj1604.01.03Keywords:
traditional and alternative medicines, pseudoscience, falsifiability theory and philosophy of scienceAbstract
This paper exposes the pseudoscientific characteristic as well the moral issue of traditional and alternative medicines in the Philippines by employing textual analysis of literature published about the nature of traditional and alternative medicine and the distinctions of science from pseudoscience anchored primarily on Karl Popper’s falsifiability theory.  Specifically, ‘How traditional and alternative medicines are perceived and received by Filipinos?’ and ‘What are the underlying moral issues regarding the pseudoscientific characteristic of traditional and alternative medicines?’Discussions like these are necessary in order to identify how traditional and alternative medicine information is communicated through product advertising, practices and the media, which is significant for consumers in making right decisions.
References
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Ashikaga, T., Bosompra, K., O'brien, P., & Nelson, L. (2002). Use of complimentary [complementary] and alternative medicine by breast cancer patients: Prevalence, patterns and communication with physicians. Supportive Care in Cancer, 10(7), 542-8. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00520-002-0356-1
Dahilig, V., and Salenga, R. (2012). Prevalence, perceptions and predictors of complementary and alternative medicine use in selected communities in the Philippines. Journal of Asian Association of Schools of Pharmacy 1 (1): 16-24.
De la Cruz, P., and Ramos, A. “Indigenous Health Knowledge in the Philippines: A Literature Survey†Paper presented at the XIIIth Congress of Southeast Asian Librarians (CONSAL) Conference, Manila, Philippines last March 25-30, 2006.
Falkenberg, T. “Traditional and Complementary Medicine Policy†MDS-3: Managing Access to Medicines and other Health Technologies Management Sciences for Health, inc., 2012 Accessed from http://www.msh.org/sites/msh.org/files/mds3-jan2014.pdf last December 2015
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_________ . (2008). “Science and Pseudo-science.†Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pseudo-science.
_________. (2009). “Cutting the Gordian Knot of Demarcation.†International Studies in the Philosophy of Science 23:237-43.
Hoenders, R., Appelo, M., van de Brink, E., Hartogs, B. and de Jong, J.. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2012, 12(Suppl 1):P330 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/12/S1/P330
Islam, N. (2005). “Pluralism, parallel medical practices and the question of tension: the Philippines experience†Anthropology Matters Journal 7(2). 1-9
Jayaraj, P. (2010). “Regulation of traditional and complementary medicinal products in Malaysia†International Journal of Green Pharmacy, 4(1), 10-14. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/0973-8258.62158
Jocano, F.L. Folk Medicine in a Philippine Municipality: An Analysis of the System of Folk Healing in Bay , Laguna, and Its Complications for the Introduction of Modern Medicine. Manila: National Museum, 1973.
Kadetz, P. (2009). WHO-Western Pacific Region Office Report on the State of Traditional, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine in The Philippines: A Pilot Study of the WPRO 2002-2010 Strategic Objectives. Technical Report. Manila: World Health Organization.
Mendoza, R.L. (2009). “Is It Really Medicine? The Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act and Informal Health Economy in the Philippines†Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health 21: 333 DOI: 10.1177/1010539509336570. Accessed from http://aph.sagepub.com/content /21/3/333 last December 2015.
McPherson, F. and McGraw, L. (2012). BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 12 (Suppl 1):P130 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/12/S1/P130
Medagama, A. B., & Bandara, R. (2014). “The use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) in the treatment of diabetes mellitus: Is continued use safe and effective?†Nutrition Journal, 13, 102. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-13-102
Nickles, T. (2006). “The Problem of Demarcation.†In The Philosophy of Science: An Encyclopedia. Vol. 1, edited by Sahotra Sarkar and Jessica Pfeifer, 188-97. New York: Routledge.
Novella, S. (2012). http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/alternative-medicines-attack-on-science/
Pavic, Z. (2013). “Science and Pseudoscience in Postmodern Societies†Informatol 46 (2): 145-153.
Pennock, R. (2009). “Can’t Philosophers Tell the Difference between Science and Religion? Demarcation Revisited.†Synthese 178 (2): 177-206. doi:10.1007/s11229-009-9547-3.
Pigliuchi, M. (2010). Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Philippine Food and Drug Administration. Administrative Order No. 23 series of 2000: Implementing Rules and Regulation of RA 8423 Otherwise Known as the Traditional and Alternative Medicines Act of 1997. Philippines: FDA 2000.
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Philippine Food and Drug Administration. Administrative Order No. 184 series of 2004: Guidelines on Registration of Traditional-used Herbal Products. Philippines: FDA 2004.
Popper, K. Conjectures and Refutations The Growth of Scientific Knowledge. New York: Basic Books, 1962.
Popper, K. The Logic of Scientific Discovery translation from Logik der Forschung. London: Hutchinson, 1959.
Republic of the Philippines. Republic Act No. 8423 of 1997: Traditional and Alternative Medicines Act. Philippines: 1997.
Robles, Y. Pena, I., Loquias, M., Salenga, R., Tan, K., and Ruamero, E. (2012). Regulatory issues on traditionally used herbal products, herbal medicines and food supplements in the Philippines. Journal of Asian Association of Schools of Pharmacy 1 (3): 170-179.
Shermer, M. (2008) http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-anecdotal-evidence-can-undermine-scientfic-results/ . Accessed December 20, 2015.
Tan, M., Philippine Medicinal Plants in Common Use: Their Phytochemistry & Pharmacolog. Manila: Alay Kapwa Kilusang Pangkalusugan, 1979.
WHO (World Health Organization). 2002. WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2002-2005. Geneva: WHO. http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2002/WHO_EDM_TRM_2002.1.pdf
WHO Guidelines on developing consumer information on proper use of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2004.
WHO traditional medicine strategy: 2014-2023.
Ashikaga, T., Bosompra, K., O'brien, P., & Nelson, L. (2002). Use of complimentary [complementary] and alternative medicine by breast cancer patients: Prevalence, patterns and communication with physicians. Supportive Care in Cancer, 10(7), 542-8. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00520-002-0356-1
Dahilig, V., and Salenga, R. (2012). Prevalence, perceptions and predictors of complementary and alternative medicine use in selected communities in the Philippines. Journal of Asian Association of Schools of Pharmacy 1 (1): 16-24.
De la Cruz, P., and Ramos, A. “Indigenous Health Knowledge in the Philippines: A Literature Survey†Paper presented at the XIIIth Congress of Southeast Asian Librarians (CONSAL) Conference, Manila, Philippines last March 25-30, 2006.
Falkenberg, T. “Traditional and Complementary Medicine Policy†MDS-3: Managing Access to Medicines and other Health Technologies Management Sciences for Health, inc., 2012 Accessed from http://www.msh.org/sites/msh.org/files/mds3-jan2014.pdf last December 2015
Hansson, S. O. "Science and Pseudo-Science", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2015 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2015/entries/pseudo-science/>.
_________ . (2008). “Science and Pseudo-science.†Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pseudo-science.
_________. (2009). “Cutting the Gordian Knot of Demarcation.†International Studies in the Philosophy of Science 23:237-43.
Hoenders, R., Appelo, M., van de Brink, E., Hartogs, B. and de Jong, J.. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2012, 12(Suppl 1):P330 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/12/S1/P330
Islam, N. (2005). “Pluralism, parallel medical practices and the question of tension: the Philippines experience†Anthropology Matters Journal 7(2). 1-9
Jayaraj, P. (2010). “Regulation of traditional and complementary medicinal products in Malaysia†International Journal of Green Pharmacy, 4(1), 10-14. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/0973-8258.62158
Jocano, F.L. Folk Medicine in a Philippine Municipality: An Analysis of the System of Folk Healing in Bay , Laguna, and Its Complications for the Introduction of Modern Medicine. Manila: National Museum, 1973.
Kadetz, P. (2009). WHO-Western Pacific Region Office Report on the State of Traditional, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine in The Philippines: A Pilot Study of the WPRO 2002-2010 Strategic Objectives. Technical Report. Manila: World Health Organization.
Mendoza, R.L. (2009). “Is It Really Medicine? The Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act and Informal Health Economy in the Philippines†Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health 21: 333 DOI: 10.1177/1010539509336570. Accessed from http://aph.sagepub.com/content /21/3/333 last December 2015.
McPherson, F. and McGraw, L. (2012). BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 12 (Suppl 1):P130 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/12/S1/P130
Medagama, A. B., & Bandara, R. (2014). “The use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) in the treatment of diabetes mellitus: Is continued use safe and effective?†Nutrition Journal, 13, 102. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-13-102
Nickles, T. (2006). “The Problem of Demarcation.†In The Philosophy of Science: An Encyclopedia. Vol. 1, edited by Sahotra Sarkar and Jessica Pfeifer, 188-97. New York: Routledge.
Novella, S. (2012). http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/alternative-medicines-attack-on-science/
Pavic, Z. (2013). “Science and Pseudoscience in Postmodern Societies†Informatol 46 (2): 145-153.
Pennock, R. (2009). “Can’t Philosophers Tell the Difference between Science and Religion? Demarcation Revisited.†Synthese 178 (2): 177-206. doi:10.1007/s11229-009-9547-3.
Pigliuchi, M. (2010). Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Philippine Food and Drug Administration. Administrative Order No. 23 series of 2000: Implementing Rules and Regulation of RA 8423 Otherwise Known as the Traditional and Alternative Medicines Act of 1997. Philippines: FDA 2000.
Philippine Food and Drug Administration. Administrative Order No. 172 series of 2004: Guidelines on Registration of Herbal Medicines Philippines: FDA 2004.
Philippine Food and Drug Administration. Administrative Order No. 184 series of 2004: Guidelines on Registration of Traditional-used Herbal Products. Philippines: FDA 2004.
Popper, K. Conjectures and Refutations The Growth of Scientific Knowledge. New York: Basic Books, 1962.
Popper, K. The Logic of Scientific Discovery translation from Logik der Forschung. London: Hutchinson, 1959.
Republic of the Philippines. Republic Act No. 8423 of 1997: Traditional and Alternative Medicines Act. Philippines: 1997.
Robles, Y. Pena, I., Loquias, M., Salenga, R., Tan, K., and Ruamero, E. (2012). Regulatory issues on traditionally used herbal products, herbal medicines and food supplements in the Philippines. Journal of Asian Association of Schools of Pharmacy 1 (3): 170-179.
Shermer, M. (2008) http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-anecdotal-evidence-can-undermine-scientfic-results/ . Accessed December 20, 2015.
Tan, M., Philippine Medicinal Plants in Common Use: Their Phytochemistry & Pharmacolog. Manila: Alay Kapwa Kilusang Pangkalusugan, 1979.
WHO (World Health Organization). 2002. WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2002-2005. Geneva: WHO. http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2002/WHO_EDM_TRM_2002.1.pdf
WHO Guidelines on developing consumer information on proper use of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2004.
WHO traditional medicine strategy: 2014-2023.
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Published
2016-06-30
How to Cite
Miranda, J. R. L. (2016). The Pseudoscientific Characteristic of Traditional and Alternative Medicines. Recoletos Multidisciplinary Research Journal, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.32871/rmrj1604.01.03
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