Abstract
Integrative and complementary therapies have been available in the public health system in Brazil as a public policy since 2006. This text of a qualitative nature based on secondary data from the literature and official documents has the aim of understanding the National Policy of Integrative and Complementary Practices from its presence in varied spaces in society. Bypassing the comparison between the theory and practice of the policy, a theoretical and methodological path is proposed to enable new perceptions about policy in practice. By applying the actor-network theory and the negotiation approach, the analysis enables us to perceive the policy as a combination of actions that gives rise to multiple realities and contextual versions of policy, depending on the actors involved. Thus, the results point to complexity hidden behind apparent singularity, revealing the plurality of actors that constitute these realities and demonstrating that the policy is dependent on the actions of other actors for it to become a reality. Following this analytical path, it is possible to generate new elements that contribute to the analysis of the policy in practice, adding to the studies that emphasize the comparison between theory and practice.
Key words:
Complementary therapies; Public health policy; Medical anthropology