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Melvin H. Kirschner, MD, MPH

Melvin H. Kirschner is in family practice in Van Nuys, Calif. He is a former chairman of the Los Angeles County Medical Association/Bar Association Joint Committee on Biomedical Ethics; a contributing editor of The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine and Aberrant Medical Practices; and a board member of the National Council Against Health Fraud.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Melvin H. Kirschner, MPH, MD, 14411 Gilmore St, Van Nuys, CA 91401-1430 (e-mail: mhkirschnermd{at}aol.com).

As a member of several bioethics committees and the National Council Against Health Fraud, I read Rosenstock and Lee's article "Attacks on Science: The Risks to Evidence-Based Policy"¹ with great interest. Not since before the original Pure Food and Drug Act has there been such a sustained disregard for evidence-based medical science by vested interests.

The increasing role of industry-sponsored research has resulted in the fast-tracking of incompletely researched medical products to the marketplace. This, in turn, has resulted in the eventual withdrawal of some of these products from the market when they proved to be unsafe. The Hatch–Richardson Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 has permitted the marketing of products exempt from review by the Food and Drug Administration. This has resulted in many substances' being marketed to the public for the treatment of various conditions even though there is no scientific evidence of their value. Therapeutic touch, homeopathy, acupuncture, and many other scientifically unproven treatment modalities are being promoted openly in our society.²

Our own American Journal of Public Health is planning a special issue on complementary and alternative medicine in October 2002. I trust that the editors will restrict its content to research that adheres to science and not just to anecdotal accounts of the allegedly successful use of alternative treatments.

The Journal's mission should be not only to "promote public health research, policy, practice and education" ³ but also to serve as a forum where public health scientists can evaluate the worth of products, treatments, and practices that have an impact on the health of the public.

References

1. Rosenstock L, Lee LJ. Attacks on science: the risks to evidence-based policy. Am J Public Health.2002; 92:14–16.[Abstract/Free Full Text]

2. Laramore G, Mulkerin L. How we know whether a medical treatment works—quality of evidence. Scientific Rev Alt Med Aberrant Med Pract.2001;5(3):165.

3. Call for papers, special issue on complementary and alternative medicine. Am J Public Health.2002; 92:63.

This Article Extract Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kirschner, M. H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kirschner, M. H. Related Collections Ethics Health Policy Health Professionals