Development of a Course in Complementary and Alternative Healing Practices Within University-Based Pharmacy Education

Abstract

"A Survey of Complementary/Alternative Healing Practices" has been offered for the last five years at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences as an elective course. The objective of this course is to expose pharmacy students to medical practices other than conventional Western medicine, such as: chiroprac tic, traditional Chinese medicine, homeopathy, mind-body practices, and shamanic medicine. For each of the disciplines, the course covers their beliefs concerning health, how therapy is administered and monitored and various socioeconomic issues. This is accomplished through lectures and experiential presentations from complementary/alternative healing practitioners. This article describes how the course has evolved since its inception.

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