 |
 |
SHARP CRITICISM OF NIH ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE OFFICE In addition to its activities in the standard health-related sciences, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) also maintains an Office of Alternative Medicine (OAM), created in 1992, to evaluate "unconventional health practices". At $12.5 million, the budget of this NIH office is not insignificant, if one considers that the money would provide four-year scholarships for 200 young scientists. Recently, a number of influential scientists have been demanding the closing of the OAM office, which they say does little evidentiary based evaluating, and which they say has given prestige to "dubious practices more clearly resembling witchcraft than medicine." The OAM budget is up for renewal this month, and its opponents hope the office will be dismantled and disappear. (Science 11 July)