The Response of Orthodox Medicine to the Challenge of Alternative Medicine in Australia

Abstract

The recent rise in the usage of alternative medicine is a consequence of the interaction between most orthodox doctors and their patients, changes in the medical market and a general societal shift toward postmodernity. The Australian Medical Association has recently responded to this rise by seeking to exclude alternative practices from funding by the government. The success of this tactic is partly dependent on the government's response. The government is faced by two major constituencies in this area: the AMA, who seek more funding for orthodox medicine and the Treasury, who seek to limit funding by capping devices and by arguing for preventive medicine. The government's response has been to channel preventive health practices through orthodox medicine. They are unlikely to support alternative practitioners as they would constitute a further drain on funds. However, this does not mean the AMA's tactic of exclusion will be totally successful. The consumers of medical care are demanding choice, control over their own health and individual attention. If orthodox practitioners do not meet that demand then their patients will desert them.