Following the debate: homeopathy and anthroposophic medicine
Feb 13, 2018
Our regular round up of recent stories in the media from Europe and around the world confirms that the debate about homeopathy is still very much alive. From India to the UK, from United States to Spain, interest in homeopathy continues to hit the headlines. This article from ECHAMP provides a summary of recent news stories on homeopathy and anthopophic medicine, with back up information and useful links to make sure you get the real facts in the debate.
October
- An article in Swiss Medical Weekly, ‘Beliefs, endorsement and application of homeopathy disclosed’, also reported in the German media, found that 23% of doctors in outpatient care prescribe homeopathy at least once a year.
- An article in La Libre in Belgium reports on how homeopathy is used by doctors, its strengths and its limitations. Similarly an interview in Berliner Morgenpost with homeopathic doctor, Dr Riker, addresses the benefits and the limits of self-medication with homeopathy.
November
- A new government proposal seeks to abolish the exception in Swedish pharmaceutical legislation that grants special marketing authorisations and exceptions for anthroposophic medicines.
- EASAC, the European Academies Science Advisory Council, whose statement in September 2017 (see ECHAMP News) on ‘Homeopathic products and practices’ generated significant media coverage around Europe, published in November their statement in the Journal of Internal Medicine: ‘Assessing and regulating homeopathic products’. They also provide via their website a list of all the press coverage around Europe generated by this statement over the past six months.
December
- FDA draft guidance on homeopathic products received extensive media coverage in US and some in Germany; both the Bundesverband der Pharmazeutischen Industrie (BPI) and the Bundesverband der Arzneimittel-Hersteller (BAH) issued statements confirming the high standards for safety and quality already in place in Germany and the rest of Europe. More recent coverage informs that the US National Center for Homeopathy has now issued a statement in conjunction with the American Association of Homeopathic Pharmacists (AAHP).
- Spanish media provided coverage (and here) of a formal letter of notice from the European Commission calling on Spain to remove restrictions on parallel imports of homeopathic medicines.
- The following week, media in Spain reported on the conclusions of a French research programme, EPI3, confirming that patients treated with homeopathy consume significantly fewer antibiotics (-57%), analgesics, psychotropic drugs (-71%) or anti inflammatories (-46%) than those treated with conventional medicines: here, here, here, here, here, here, here. An earlier article in the newspaper El Mundo was critical of homeopathy.
January
- Indian media reported (and here) on the visit to India by Homeopathy Research Institute Chief Executive, Rachel Roberts, and her meeting with Shri. Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of State for AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy). They discussed the need to exchange expertise and foster research collaboration in the field of homeopathy. Other articles report on the Minister’s commitment to ensure the future for homeopathic medicine and the laying of the foundations for the third Central Research Institute for scientific research in homeopathy (and here) and the signing of a co-operation agreement with Israel on research into homeopathy.
- The British Homeopathic Association (BHA) has called for a judicial review of what it calls the “fundamentally flawed” process that will prevent homeopathic medicines being prescribed on the NHS; this follows the three-month consultation by NHS England launched in July and the subsequent proposal in November to stop funding homeopathy and herbal medicine. Some media coverage and here (with discussion here and here) in January informed about the BHA’s campaign while other coverage shows the homeopathy debate is still very much alive.
- A new book by Edzard Ernst, ‘More Harm than Good’, generates further discussion in the UK media (and here), in advance of its publication in February with a personal attack on monarch to-to-be, HRH Prince Charles.
- Proving that the British are a nation of animal lovers, a statement by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in the UK calling to ban veterinary surgeons from prescribing homeopathy as a treatment for animals generated coverage in November (see coverage here, here, here and here). A march in protest by pet owners and a petition with some 15,000 signatures in response also generated considerable coverage in the specialist media: here, here, here and here in the UK and in Germany.
- The debate continues in France too, with an article on homeopathy in La Libération responding to readers’ request for further information and one in Le Nouvel Observateur, quoting Dr Helene Renoux, President of the European Homeopathic Doctors’ Association.
- An article in Ärtzte Zeitung, for doctors in Germany explains how competitive skiers prepare for their sport with homeopathy, with the approval of their doctors.
- The debate continues in the media on the reimbursement of homeopathy by the health insurance companies in Germany: Die Welt, Stern, Spiegel with other articles (and here) also balancing the public profile of homeopathy in Germay
February
- English and German translations of a new Swedish film, 'The battle for the paradigm of health' respond to the criticisms of the worldwide campaign against homeopathy and include an interview with Professor Robert Hahn, who speaks on the evidence base of homeopathy.