EBSCO Publishing Acquires HealthGate’s The Natural Pharmacist®
Two Distinct Databases Now Available - Natural & Alternative Treatments™ and Evidence-Based Complementary Medicine™

IPSWICH, Mass. — April 7, 2005 — As part of its ongoing commitment to provide the highest quality medical information to libraries, EBSCO Publishing has acquired HealthGate’s The Natural Pharmacist® in August of 2004.

This acquisition has resulted in the release of two full text complementary & alternative medicine databases, Natural & Alternative Treatments™ (NAT) and Evidence-Based Complementary Medicine™ (EBCM). These offerings join EBSCO’s growing collection of high-quality medical, alternative medicine, consumer health, and nursing & allied health databases.

Specifically designed for medical professionals and consumer health researchers, both databases offer unbiased, reliable health information that is fully supported by heavily referenced scientific studies. Together, NAT and EBCM provide meaningful scientific evidence that help medical professionals and their patients to deal with the many challenges associated with natural health, such as the efficacy of supplements, potential drug interactions, and alternative treatments for common health conditions.

Of further interest to medical professionals, the consumer-oriented information in the databases may help institutions to meet Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) standards of quality healthcare by offering their patients a sound source of medical information.

About the Databases
Natural & Alternative Treatments is designed specifically for the consumer-health researcher and contains almost two hundred articles on medical conditions. The alternative medicine therapies for treatments of these conditions are presented in an evidence-based manner, with information from more than 12,000 scientific studies. It also contains detailed, evidence-based information on herbs and supplements, functional foods, and other alternative therapies such as acupuncture and homeopathy, as well as comprehensive information on drug/herb/supplement interactions. Information provided in this database should not be viewed as a means for self-diagnosis or a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Evidence-based Complementary Medicine is designed specifically for the professional user. This database provides the tools necessary for healthcare providers to manage the challenges presented by widespread patient use of herbs and supplements. It contains crucial, up-to-date information on the safety and efficacy of these natural products. Organized both by substance and by medical condition, NAT is designed to be of immediate practical use in patient care. For each condition, herb and supplement, it suggests the direct, informed questions necessary to elicit potential drug/herb/supplement interactions. Virtually all newly published double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of significance to alternative medicine are incorporated into the database in a timely manner, along with safety-related case reports and other relevant studies.

About EBSCO
EBSCO Publishing is part of the EBSCO Information Services group. EBSCO Information Services provides libraries and research centers with online and print journal subscription services, e-resource access and management services, full-text and secondary database development and access, an OpenURL-compliant link resolver, online book purchasing and related information services. EBSCO maintains a title database of more than 282,000 serial titles and upholds relationships with more than 60,000 publishers around the world. EBSCO’s 32 Regional Offices worldwide are staffed with personnel who speak the local language and understand the particular challenges faced by librarians in their areas, offering a uniquely personal level of service. Specialized divisions serve academic, biomedical, government, public, school and special libraries as well as corporations. Visit EBSCO online at: www.ebsco.com.