Lack of availability - stakeholder experience

The second session of ECHAMP’s expert workshop in Bled brought together the stakeholders in the field of homeopathic and anthroposophic medicine - the patients, prescribers and industry – to present their perspective on the current situation facing these medicinal products. They were united in their feedback to governments and competent authorities that availability of these products is increasingly restricted and causing real problems for those who need the medicines.

Setting the scene, Frank Bech, ECHAMP’s Adviser on Homeopathic Affairs, spoke of current trends in the sector, including data on consumption of the products and growth in the market. This is now an established sector that plays an important role in European health care, not least from an economic point of view. Nevertheless, the 100 million users of these products are no longer getting the medicines they need.

Speaking on behalf of the European Federation of Homeopathic Patients Associations (EFHPA), President Enid Segall emphasised the importance of choice in health care and the need to integrate homeopathy and other CAM therapies into EU healthcare. René de Winter of the European Federation of Patients’ Associations for Anthroposophic Medicine (EFPAM) emphasised the need for access, availability and affordability. These topics were echoed on behalf of the prescribers by Dr Ton Nicolai of the European Committee for Homeopathy (ECH), whose experience shows that lack of availability of certain products causes real problems for patients and prescribers and the risk that limited products are available only on the black market. He recommended to the European Commission that it should consider the ‘light touch’ approach to registration of these products taken by the Swiss government. Dr Peter Zimmermann of the International Federation of Anthroposophic Medicinal Associations (IVAA) spoke of the difficult legal situation regarding the registration or authorisation of anthroposophic medicinal products. Stephen Gordon, General Secretary of the European Council of Classical Homeopathy described how the drive to harmonise legislation for homeopathic medicines has led to ‘total chaos’, with a wide range of different interpretations in the Member States. The industry urgently needs economically viable regulatory solutions in order to maintain full availability of the products.

Two speakers from Slovenia, Dr Zivan Krevel, President of the Slovenian Homeopathic Society and Linda Cicigoj, a Slovene pharmacist, also highlighted the problems faced in Slovenia, where doctors who practice homeopathy risk losing their medical license. Stakeholders were united in their call on the Slovene government to legalise the prescription of homeopathic medicinal products by mainstream medical doctors and to ensure the full availability of these products in pharmacies.

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