Background: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is the term for medical products and practices that are not part of standard medical care. It is used for the maintenance of health and prevention, diagnosis, improvement, and/or treatment of physical and mental illness. The WHO defines CAM as “a broad set of healthcare practices that are part of that country’s tradition and are not integrated into the dominant healthcare system.”

Objective: The purpose of this study is to assess the knowledge attitudes and awareness regarding complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the population of Karachi- post covid 19. Many people who were infected with covid 19 also used CAM medicine. The study also determines the usage of CAM for covid 19 and whether it was beneficial or not.

Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted among 207 participants, consisting of medical students and medical practitioners, aged 16 and above across Karachi using non – probability consecutive sampling. A validated online self-administered questionnaire was used.

Results: The results showed that 70% of the participants had used CAM at some point in their lives, with the most common reasons being affordability, personal belief and the perception that it is less paternalistic than allopathic medicine. The most commonly used CAM therapies were Unani medicine, herbal medicine and homeopathy. The majority of participants (62%) believed that CAM can be used in combination with allopathic medicine and 59% believed that it is effective for the treatment of various ailments. However only 37% of participants were aware of the regulatory bodies responsible for overseeing the practice of CAM in Pakistan.

Conclusion: In Pakistan allopathic medicine is still the mainstream healthcare, however complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is also significantly used for treatment, especially in chronic conditions. It is important for doctors to be aware that their patients may be using CAM therapies and to educate the patients about the potential risks and benefits of using CAM medicine. Although currently there are no guidelines or regulations on using CAM therapies in Pakistan.