It’s been a pretty tough week for supporters of alternatives to medicine. First up, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) released a draft for public comment of its much-anticipated consultation document…
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Barwon Health
Formed in 1998, Barwon Health is one of the largest and most comprehensive regional health services in Australia, providing care at all stages of life and circumstance.
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The popular internet meme First World Problems makes often bitingly ironic statements about things which are really irritating and sometimes infuriating, but only from a position of self-involved privilege…
I have become aware due to my own diligent research on the internet (literally hours and hours) about a massive conspiracy by greedy and unscrupulous engineers. I am talking about the fearsome, faceless…
The tragic case of Penelope Dingle’s death from a potentially treatable cancer was the subject of a moving ABC Australian Story. Following a coronial inquest, the case continues to make headlines with…
An interesting snippet from The Age today. It seems that the Federal Government of the day in 2005 was warned that its proposed $226m dial-in hotline, known as healthdirect Australia would not reduce Emergency…
The MJA this month leads a themed edition with an editorial on the public health and social consequences of persistent pain which makes sobering reading. For my own part I am well aware of this, as I spend…
The Friends of Science in Medicine is a loose collaboration of doctors and other scientists and concerned citizens who have chosen to speak out on the topic of where science belongs in medicine, and where…
The recent Swisse Vitamins flap has led to another round of discussions about advertising terminology for supplements and over-the-counter (OTC) health products. To briefly summarise, for those up the…
It’s another busy night in an inner city hospital emergency department (ED) and patients keep pouring in with injuries from accidents, assaults and self-harm attempts. One veteran nurse turns to a junior…
What parent can pass up the chance to boost their child’s intelligence by putting on some nice classical music? The popular idea that IQ scores can be raised by listening to Mozart is a case study in how…
Staying off alcohol when taking antibiotics has been hallowed advice from GPs, pharmacists and well-meaning relatives for decades. It’s difficult to work out exactly where the advice orginated, but Karl…
With joint replacement surgery becoming increasingly common, the flap over a large recall of De Puy hip implants has thousands of Australians worried about the quality and longevity their own hip replacements…
Welcome to part two of The science behind weight loss, a new Conversation series in which we separate the myths about dieting from the realities of exercise and nutrition. Here, Michael Vagg, Clinical…
If you took a pill that had been prescribed to treat your illness and it alleviated your symptoms, that means the medicine worked – right? What if you took a complementary medicine from a health food store…
As Australians’ life expectancy nudges past 80 years, it’s no surprise that we’re searching for ways to add youthfulness and vitality to our later years. It’s a nice idea that a good dose of blueberries…
If a manufacturer claimed its product was “clinically proven” and could relieve your symptoms of bloating and fatigue, would you believe it? What about if you were chronically or terminally ill and had…
Switch on daytime television on any given day and you’d be forgiven for thinking there was a cure for the debilitating and dreaded condition, osteoarthritis. Unfortunately, there’s not. And that’s not…
Severe low back pain is a common and dreaded problem that rivals only hay fever, asthma, hypertension and dermatitis as Australia’s leading cause of long-term illness. The instinctive response to severe…
For some it’s a morning ritual – cracking your knuckles before beginning the day. For others, it’s a way to pass time while pondering a thought or reading something particularly interesting online. But…
In an attempt to contain growing health costs, the Australian Government has resisted recommendations to subsidise the pain medication Targin on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule. Not only is this a…
