A SURVEY OF ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE STUDIES OF DRUG USES (ALLOPATHIC, HOMEOPATHIC, AND HERBAL) IN PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Increasing numbers of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners are interested in evidence-based medicine (EBM). Researchers are in need of further information regarding the current status of CAM practitioner’s knowledge and use of EBM. A high prevalence of CAM use has been documented worldwide in children and adolescents with chronic illnesses. Only a small number of studies, however, have been conducted in the Pakistan. Primary aim of survey was performed to estimate and explore the use of alternative medicine in patients with different diseases among all age groups. A questionnaire survey was distributed in different hospitals (n =2000) in rural and urban area. Total 500 patients were observed out of which 48.66% were male and 51.34% were female. The 48% of the patients were literate while 52% patients do not know how to read or write. It was found in this study that 42.07% of population is getting allopathic treatment, 32.81% towards herbal treatment and 23.69% towards homeopathic treatment among the patient taking allopathic treatment almost 51.48% were male and 48.76 % female. The urban population almost 52.84% male and 47.16% female were using allopathic mode of treatment. While 44.52% male and 55.48% female in rural population were taking allopathic treatment In case of herbal treatment percentage ratio of rural and urban population was 31% and 19% respectively among male patients. Among females 30% patient belong to urban region while 20% patients were from rural areas 37% male and 29% female patients were taking homeopathic treatment in urban areas. In rural areas among the patients taking homeopathic treatment almost 21% patients were female while 13% patients were male Almost 60% patients agreed that they were getting required outcome of medicine however 40% patients feel that they were getting no effects in the start of these therapies Analysis of general health appearance of patients showed that almost 19% were in very good health condition. Almost 44% patients had good health while 12% were in satisfactory look. The ratio of patients suffering poor health was found to be 25%. Along with being more educated and reporting poorer health status, the majority of alternative medicine users appear to be doing so not so much as a result of being dissatisfied with conventional medicine but largely because they find these health care alternatives to be more congruent with their own values, beliefs, and philosophical orientations toward health and life. Key Words: Complementary and alternative medicine, Evidence based medicine, Qualitative study, Questionnaire, Barrier