A drug interaction occurs when a patient's response to a drug is modified by food, nutritional supplements, formulation excipients, environmental factors, other drugs, or disease. An interaction can either increase or decrease the effectiveness and/or the side effects of a drug, or it can create a new side effect not seen before. Interactions between drugs (drug-drug interactions) are the commonest and may be either beneficial or harmful. Drug interactions are avoidable and knowing how drug interactions occur, recognizing them when they occur, and knowing how to manage them is an important part of clinical practice. The main objective of learning pharmacology and drug interactions by the CAM students is the integration between the two systems of medicine and as far as the use of medicines are concerned, knowledge of pharmacology and its basic principles are most essential in understanding the adverse reactions and drug interactions that can hamper the integrating of the two systems of medicine as such outcomes will produce doubts and lack of confidence in the end-users.
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Standard medical care is a treatment that is accepted by the medical experts as an evidence-based practice for a certain type of disease, not only taught in Medical Universities but is widely used by healthcare professionals all over the world (Tiralongo & Wallis 2008; Catto et al., 2014). Generally, Allopathic or Western Medicine is currently accepted as the conventional or best practice or standard therapy.
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is the term used for medical products and practices that are not part of Conventional Medicine or standard medical care. Herbal remedies, acupuncture, chiropractic, etc., have continued to grow in popularity and are often referred to many as “natural,” “holistic,” “home remedy,” or “Eastern Medicine”. Especially in old age, where it is not just the disease but the interconnectedness of body, mind, and spirit in achieving health and sense of well-being that become the most important factors in life (Kumar-Pal, 2002). As such, it was generally accepted that everyone should have opportunity to access modern technology as well as ancient traditions of healing to be able to live, not just longer but a life that is productive, meaningful and with a purpose (WHO, 2019; Catto et al., 2014).