HMPWG November meeting report now available: more problem awareness at the competent authorities

The report of the most recent meeting of the Homeopathic Medicinal Product Working Group (HMPWG) is now available on the HMPWG website.

The meeting in Bonn on 21-22 November included a hearing with the main sector stakeholders. ECHAMP was able to express its position on a number of important topics, including recent HMPWG documents, mutual recognition, availability, future topics and our expectations of HMPWG. The report lists the main concerns raised by the various associations as follows:

• The lack of availability of Homeopathic Medicinal Products in Europe and the policy of ‘no substitution’ between homeopathic medicinal products. Physicians and patients need all the remedies in all potencies and also the so called “small remedies” which do not interest industry, due to low market potential.
• The unattractive mutual recognition and decentralised procedures due to divergent implementation, interpretation and enforcement policy of these procedures in the Member States. Need of a best practice guide related to MRP/DCP for homeopathic medicinal products.
• The lack of transparency of the HMA website (no list of HMPWG members, no intermediate versions of documents …)
• The lack of consideration by the HMPWG of homeopathic medicinal products subject to article 16 of the Directive 2001/83/EC, as amended.
• The need of a new regulatory body for the HMPWG.

The report shows that the competent authorities themselves are also more aware of the problems of the sector and may take steps towards solution-oriented policies.

The report can be downloaded here: http://www.hma.eu/fileadmin/dateien/Human_Medicines/01-About_HMA/Working_Groups/HMPWG/2014_01_HMPWG_Public_Report_18th_meeting.pdf