Homeopathy and complementary medicine in Tuscany, Italy: Integration in the public health system

The healthcare programmes of the Region of Tuscany, Italy, have contained references to various types of non-conventional medicine since 1996, and the last three Regional Health Plans have included a chapter on non-conventional medicines that arguably represent the greatest degree of integration of such therapies in the public healthcare system achieved thus far in Italy. The plan aims to guarantee definitive integration in the Regional Health Service of types of non-conventional medicine, which are supported by a sufficient level of scientific evidence to allow them to be defined as forms of complementary medicine (acupuncture, herbal medicine, homeopathy and manual medicine). Moreover, in 2007, the Regional Council of Tuscany, for the first time in our country, approved a regional law disciplining the practice of complementary medicines on the part of doctors, dentists, veterinarians and pharmacists, with the aim to guarantee the quality of the CM services and the safeness of the right of information for patients. General surgeons, dental surgeons, veterinary surgeons and pharmacists may enroll on the list if they possess the necessary qualifications and experience outlined by the Regional Committee in accordance with the medical doctors association. A document of agreement has been approved in the last months to define the necessary criteria for admission to the list of general surgeons and dental surgeons, veterinary surgeons and pharmacists practising complementary medicine and also the accreditation criteria of the Public and Private Establishments for training in the single disciplines of complementary medicine: 3-year courses with final examination in the presence of a representative of Regional Medical or Veterinarians or Pharmacists Association with at least 450h of didactic lessons. The criteria to accredit schools and professional association schools were also defined. The new Regional Health Plan 2008–2010 was recently approved, which contains more advanced proposal of Complementary Medicine integration, such as, for instance, in the cancer therapy. For at least the past 3 years master courses in CAM are offered at all the Universities of Tuscany, and finally, the Integrative Medicine Tuscany Network was created to coordinate the activities of 62 public CAM services situated in all Tuscany hospitals. Programs of international cooperation have been active in Tuscany for several years supporting the development of natural medicine in the Southern countries of the world. Decentralized cooperation programs have been set up in Cuba, Senegal, Serbia and with the Saharawi people, in conjunction with local authorities, international organizations (United Nations), civil society associations and NGOs.

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