[3] FSM was established in December 2011 by Loretta Marron, John Dwyer, Alastair MacLennan, Rob Morrison and Marcello Costa, a group of Australian biomedical scientists and clinical academics.

[6][7][8] By April 2012 they had widened their focus from university education to the clinical practice, use and legitimacy of complementary medicine within Australian society.

By May 2012 thirteen separate FSM discursive events created the unified message that all alternative and complementary medicines should be banned unless proven by rigorous scientific inquiry.

[18][19] In September 2012 FSM was involved in lobbying the Australian Health Minister, Tanya Plibersek, to expand the chief medical officer's study into complementary medicine to include chiropractic and acupuncture.

[20] The Australian Government is currently examining the evidence of clinical efficacy, cost effectiveness, safety and quality of natural therapies.

[24] Kerryn Phelps, former President of the Australian Medical Association, wrote the group had "cast its net too wide" in its condemnations, particularly in attacking courses in chiropractic, traditional Chinese medicine and Western herbalism.

They wrote it would undermine "safe practice and critical appraisal", and stated there is now an extensive evidence base for complementary therapies available.

[32] Earlier in 2013, FSM sent out a series of letters about inappropriate treatment of babies and children by chiropractors who claim that spinal manipulation helps health conditions such as Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Asthma, allergies, bedwetting, colic and ear infection and is a substitute for vaccination.

The response by the CEO of Chiropractors' Association of Australia, Andrew Macnamara claims that there is no evidence provided to back up the concerns that chiropractic subluxations are an unjustified hypothesis,[33] however there is evidence from a 2007 systematic review published in Pediatrics and a 2009 report by four chiropractors which would back up FSM concerns that subluxations are not causally related to disease and thus have no valid clinical applicability.

[34][35] In March 2014, surgeon John Cunningham and FSM's Joanne Benhamu published an article in The Medical Journal of Australia calling for a national system for chiropractors to report adverse events in the wake of allegations that a four-month-old baby had a neck fracture following treatment for torticollis.

[38] In systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials, Cochrane Researchers examine recent evidence for the safety and effectiveness of therapies.

"[40][41] In January 2014, La Trobe University formed a A$15M partnership with vitamin manufacturer Swisse Wellness, causing a wave of controversy in the Australian medical community.

[50] Loretta Marron, CEO of FSM, was awarded a 2014 Medal (OAM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia "for service to community health".