This report on alternative healthcare covers the major therapy areas of herbalism, homeopathy, aromatherapy, osteopathy, chiropractic, reflexology, acupuncture and the Alexander Technique, and also the retail product sectors of herbal and homeopathic remedies and aromatherapy oils. There are many other smaller therapies on offer, but detail on these has been excluded from the report on the grounds that they are often extensions to those covered, or have an exercise or spiritual focus rather than being healthcare related.
In terms of actual therapies, there has been continued growth in uptake, supported by the public's increased awareness of the need to take action oneself to preserve a healthy lifestyle. This awareness is driven by an ageing population profile, the result of longer life expectancy and a falling birth rate. Thus, in the face of lengthening waiting times for operations and available beds within the NHS, more people are assuming greater responsibility for managing their own health.
These factors are also linked to the growing retail market for herbal and homeopathic remedies and aromatherapy oils, taken or used independently or in conjunction with therapy. The market for these products is believed to have shown growth of 10% to 15% per year throughout much of the 1990s, although it fell to 7.3% in 2002 and is forecast to fall to 5% in 2003, before rising to over 6.9% in 2006 and 6.5% by 2007. This is largely the result of regulatory activity in herbal products, and of certain reports regarding safety and efficacy.
However, there is still scepticism regarding alternative healthcare in general among a large proportion of the population, who prefer to rely on traditional medicine. Professional medical practitioners such as general practitioners (GPs), hospital doctors, nurses and specialists are, nonetheless, being encouraged to embrace and offer alternative therapies, through extra training. In addition, the NHS is continuing to integrate alternative therapies into its armoury, albeit accompanied by a sustained programme of ongoing regulation concerning training and registration of therapists, and safety and efficacy of products. All osteopaths and chiropractors must now be registered with their respective professional bodies in order to practise, with acupuncturists and herbalists set to follow later in 2003.
Progressive regulation is also affecting the products market, particularly herbal remedies, where more scientific evidence on the effectiveness of the remedies is being called for. New directives are also under discussion within the EU regarding the harmonisation of regulations governing herbal products in relation to classification for medicinal or other use. This is a complex situation, with the need for new legislation arising out of the rapid growth in the launch of unlicensed, and sometimes unsafe, herbal products onto the market. One of the main objectives is to license as many 'traditionally established' herbal products as is practicable, and to remove many unlicensed ones. This action is a main cause for the slower growth forecast for the market, and is likely to affect manufacturers and suppliers.
Alternative healthcare therapies and products are targeted principally at common and long-term conditions such as digestive disorders, colds and influenza, headaches and migraine, depression and stress, and back and joint pain. These require lengthy treatments, with the increased probability of side effects from taking traditional medicines. Alternative therapies and products are perceived to offer fewer side effects, although recent studies have indicated that side effects do exist with alternative remedies.
The major retail outlets for herbal and homeopathic remedies remain chemists and drugstores, followed by health-food stores. However, the removal of the final part of resale price maintenance, on over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, has allowed grocery multiples to expand their medicines shelf space significantly (as well as open in-store pharmacies), which has indirectly boosted their sales share for alternative remedies. Aromatherapy oils, however, are sold through a much wider selection of retail outlets, although sales through chemists and drugstores account for 57% of the total.
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