In assessing the need for further regulation of naturopathy and Western herbal medicine (WHM), a key objective of the present report is to determine whether the practice of naturopathy and WHM poses a significant risk of harm to public health and safety. This chapter identifies the health risks associated with naturopathy and WHM as practised in Australia. The report analyses the literature on adverse effects of naturopathy and WHM, supplemented by reports made to Australian authorities or recorded on databases of adverse events. Data on adverse events obtained from a workforce survey of naturopathic and WHM practice in Australia have been published previously (Bensoussan et al. 2004)
