I applaud the recent interest the Federal Government has shown in stricter regulation of the complementary medicine industry ("Crunch on way for natural therapies", June 10).

PHARMACISTS who mass produce their own "natural" hormone replacement products and put women at risk by using them as "guinea pigs" will soon be answerable to Australia's drugs regulator.

Snake oil or cure-alls? Paul Heinrichs examines the debate about the usefulness of complementary medicines.

Complementary drugs appear to work their magic mainly on the bottom line, writes John Dwyer.

Concern about the possible dangers of combining alternative medicine with prescription drugs has prompted the Royal Melbourne Hospital to set up a study involving up to 400 people.