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Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Politics Quackery

Meet the new NCCIH five year strategic plan, same as the old NCCAM five year strategic plan

It’s no secret that I’m not particularly fond of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). Formerly known as the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and before that the Office of Alternative Medicine, NCCIH has been the foremost government agency funding research into quackery and the “integration” of quackery into […]

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Clinical trials Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Pseudoscience Science Skepticism/critical thinking

NCCIH research: Nothing much there behind the curtain

It’s an understatement to say that I’m not exactly a fan of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), the institute formerly known as the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and, even a year after its name change, probably still better known by its old moniker. Just type “NCCAM” or […]

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Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Politics Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

Finally, the Department of Justice and FDA go after unsafe supplements in a big way

Now that’s what I’m talking about! Yesterday, the Justice Department announced criminal charges and lawsuits against the sellers of several supplements! This is the ort of thing that is long overdue—incredibly so, in fact. Before I get to this specific case, let’s discuss a little background. One of the regular topics I write about, both […]

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Complementary and alternative medicine Homeopathy Medicine Politics Pseudoscience Quackery Science Skepticism/critical thinking

The FTC vs. homeopathy: Substantive change in the regulation of magic or window dressing for the status quo?

Homeopathy is a frequent topic on this blog, for reasons that regular readers no doubt understand all too well by now. Homeopathy is, as I like to call it, again borrowing from Tolkien, The One Quackery To Rule Them All. When it comes to quackery, few can even come close to homeopathy for the sheer […]

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Cancer Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Quackery Science

In which the NCCIH is questioned…

Orac’s vacation continues apace. Well, not quite. The main reason I’m in London right now is because I was invited to give an actual scientific (as opposed to skeptical) talk at a conference about—of all things—ion channels in cancer. That’s where I am right now, at the Sir Alexander Fleming Building at Imperial College London, […]