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Despite political rhetoric, the establishment of working groups, and the publication of commissioned reports in the early and mid-2000s recommending improvements in the regulation of the Irish complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) sector, little of significance has changed.
Controversies undermining public confidence in authority, global digital dissemination of information, and higher levels of education and wealth have, among other factors, contributed to the increasing popularity of CAM in Ireland, though a small piece of empirical research undertaken as part of this thesis suggests that some consumers do not appear to fully understand what they are purchasing or, indeed, how it is regulated. However, the Irish Government, when not mandated to implement controls in this area, has neglected to do so, leaving these same consumers at risk of physical, psychological, and financial harm through use of therapies with unproven safety or efficacy.
The implications of this lack ...
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