
Legislative Alchemy 2017: Naturopathy
Via the magic of Legislative Alchemy, naturopathic "doctors" gained state licensure and practice expansion, but also suffered major defeats, in 2017.

FDA Proposes Changes to Homeopathy Regulation
The FDA has proposed new guidelines for regulating homeopathy. They sound encouraging, and may signal a new era of actual regulation of the homeopathic industry.

New Blood Pressure Guidelines: Why Are Previously Normal BPs Now Classified as High Blood Pressure?
Under the new blood pressure guidelines, more people are classified as having high blood pressure; but the treatment emphasis is on lifestyle changes, not medications.

The seven dirty words the CDC won’t be able to say any more (in budget requests)
On Saturday, The Washington Post broke a story that Trump administration will prohibit officials at the CDC from using a list of seven words or phrases — including "transgender," “evidence-based,” and “science-based” — in official documents being prepared for next year’s budget. As much as we like the title of our blog, this is not the sort of recognition we at SBM...

Vaccine Post Updates: the Good, the Bad, and the Crooked?
Updates on two previous vaccine related posts plus one of the most ridiculous anti-vaccine theories of all time.

Update on neglect cases
An update on two Canadian cases where reliance on alternative medicine resulted in the death of two children.

Medical Profession is Underutilizing Computer Technology
There is tremendous potential to improve the medical industry through robust adoption of electronic systems for training and improving practice. So why aren't we doing it?

Freud Was a Fraud: A Triumph of Pseudoscience
Frederick Crews has written a reassessment of Freud based on newly available correspondence and re-evaluation of previously available materials. He shows that Freud was a fraud who deceived himself and succumbed to pseudoscience.

SXSW Wellness Expo and Goop: Accepting HIV/AIDS denialism and antivaccine pseudoscience by embracing Dr. Kelly Brogan
Dr. Kelly Brogan is doing well these days. Invited to be a headliner at Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop Summit and to be on the advisory board of the 2018 SXSW Wellness Expo, she's riding high. Unfortunately Goop and SXSW appear not to care about her being an HIV/AIDS denialist, antivaxer, and all around quack.

Damn the evidence and regulations: VA goes full speed ahead with medical pseudoscience
The VA recently mandated inclusion of acupuncture, reiki, reflexology and other CAM in veterans medical benefits and will require that they be offered at VA medical facilities, ignoring the lack of evidence and federal rules on what medical benefits can be covered.
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