Alternative Healthcare - Market Assessment
Alternative Healthcare - Market Assessment
Key Note Publications Ltd
August 1, 2005
140 Pages - Pub ID: KEYL1186103
MarketResearch.com
Abstract
Key Note's 2005 Market Assessment on alternative healthcare, like previous editions of this report, concentrates on the major therapy segments of acupuncture, the Alexander Technique, aromatherapy, chiropractic, osteopathy, physiotherapy and reflexology, and the herbal and homeopathic remedies areas. There are a large number of other alternative medicine segments being promoted, although many are either extensions of the above, or are related more to exercise, spiritual welfare or personal fulfilment.
These therapies and remedies have, in many cases, been in existence for centuries, having been practised by ancient civilisations in China, India, Tibet, Egypt, Iraq, Persia and Greece. Such early practices formed the basis for modern `conventional' medicine, particularly in the case of herbal remedies. Alternative therapies in general are claimed to be holistic Û i.e. treating the whole person Û rather than targeting particular symptoms and their causes, as is the case with much of conventional medicine.
Specialists, general practitioners (GPs), nurses and other health professionals are increasingly learning about alternative healthcare therapies and remedies, and are either offering them direct to patients or referring the patients to other therapists. Additionally, the NHS is becoming more interested in offering selected alternative healthcare therapies to patients, provided that these can be shown to offer definite benefits. The NHS has offered homeopathy and some other therapies for many years, although nearly all such treatments are, in fact, still carried out privately.
Because of the growing interest from patients and professionals, there has been increasing effort since 2000 to achieve either statutory or self-regulation of therapists involved in the major alternative healthcare segments. Currently, only chiropractors and osteopaths are statutorily regulated, in that they must be registered with their relevant association before being allowed to practise. Self-regulation is due to follow soon in the case of acupuncturists, herbalists and aromatherapists.
After many years of attempts to regulate the herbal remedies market, a new EU Directive took effect in 2004. The need for regulation had increased owing to growing patient interest in remedies perceived as preventive and lacking side effects; the rising number of products appearing on the market; and the fact that some had proved unsafe or interacted with conventional medicines or treatments. The new traditional herbal medicinal products (THMP) or `traditional-use medicines' category allows herbal remedies that do not hold a full product licence (believed to account for approximately 80% of those on the UK market) to continue to be sold in the EU, provided that they can show proven efficacy over a period of 30 years. They still have to be evaluated, however, for safety and quality of manufacture. Newer herbal remedies will either have to obtain full product licences, or be withdrawn, by 2011.
Longer life expectancy and the greying population profile in the UK will benefit the alternative healthcare sector, which tends to treat common, recurring, sometimes long-term and often age-related ailments. The now generally better-educated and wealthier older persons are increasingly being treated with the therapies covered in this report, or treating themselves with herbal or homeopathic remedies or aromatherapy oils in an effort to achieve a longer, more active and enjoyable life. The whole market will also be supported by growing use among NHS and other health professionals.
However, the new EU regulations on herbal remedies are likely to lead to some being withdrawn from the market and a decline in new product launches. Thus, the current market growth of between 4% and 5% per year for herbal and homeopathic products is likely to fall in the immediate future, although the market will continue to expand.
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