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Evaluation of effectivenessNHMRC plans to provide a public statement on homeopathy first, following completion of our examination of this issue. In addressing this health issue, NHMRC has commenced work on a project to evaluate the evidence underpinning the practice of homeopathy. As part of this project, NHMRC will undertake a comprehensive search of the literature to develop health advice for health professionals and the Australian community to assist them in making informed choices about healthcare. An NHMRC reference group is currently being established to oversee this work.
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more:
http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/your-health/complementary-medicines[*quote*]
Alternative medicine crackdownJulia Medew
March 14, 2012
Homeopaths are facing a fight to defend their practice in Australia after the National Health and Medical Research Council flagged it might declare their work baseless and unethical.
A draft public statement seen by The Age concluded it was ''unethical for health practitioners to treat patients using homeopathy, for the reason that homeopathy (as a medicine or procedure) has been shown not to be efficacious''.
The confidential statement, which was not meant to be distributed, is based on a 2010 evaluation of homeopathy by the British House of Commons science and technology committee, which declared it was no more efficacious than a placebo.
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more:
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/alternative-medicine-crackdown-20120313-1uyiw.htmlthe PDF:
http://images.theage.com.au/file/2012/03/14/3125800/Homeopathy%2520statement.pdf?rand=1331694590279[Serverfehler. Julian]
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DRAFT NHMRC Public Statement on HomeopathyThis draft has been released for consultation only.
It should not be distributed.
NHMRC’s position is that it is unethical for health practitioners to treat patients
using homeopathy, for the reason that homeopathy (as a medicine or procedure)
has been shown not to be efficacious.
What is Homeopathy?
Homeopathy is a 200-year old form of alternative therapy. Practitioners use highly
diluted preparations with the aim of treating illness, which is based on the belief that
even though it is highly diluted, the molecules retain a “memory” of the original
substance (WHO 2009).
Homeopathy is based on two philosophies: “like-cures-like” and “ultra-dilution”.
The like-cures-like philosophy states that a substance that causes a symptom can be
used (in diluted form) to treat the same symptom in an illness. The ultra-dilution
philosophy states that the more dilute a substance is, the more potent it is (STC 2010).
Homeopathic products should not be confused with herbal remedies. Some
homeopathic products are derived from herbal active ingredients, but the important
difference is that homeopathic products are extremely diluted and administered
according to specific principles (STC 2010).
There is sufficient scientific evidence to conclude that homeopathy is no more
efficacious than placebo. Homeopathy, while not harmful in its own right, may pose a
risk to patients if safe and efficacious conventional treatments are rejected or delayed
in favour of homeopathic treatment.
Terminology
What is the difference between efficacy and effectiveness?
Efficacy tests whether a treatment works under ideal conditions, whereas effectiveness
tests whether a treatment works in the real world. For example, a drug may
demonstrate it can lower blood pressure under ideal conditions such as in a clinical
trial, and then will not work in the real world because people experience side-effects.
In this example, the drug is efficacious but is not „effective’ (STC 2010).
What is a Placebo?
A placebo is a medication with no active ingredients or a procedure without any
medical benefit. Some people will report feeling better after taking a placebo because
they believe they are receiving treatment.
While the placebo effect may relieve symptoms it performs no physiological function
and does not have an impact on the underlying cause of illness.
In the past, physicians sometimes prescribed placebos to patients without explaining
that the treatment they were receiving had no demonstrated medical benefit. However,
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the prescription of placebos in this way is deceptive and raises ethical concerns1 of 2
(AMA 2006).
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Homeopathy in Australia
The Australian Government does not fund homeopathy as a treatment directly.
In Australia, complementary medicines such as herbal products, vitamins, minerals
and nutritional supplements, some aromatherapy products and certain homeopathic
products are regulated as complementary medicines under the Therapeutic Goods Act
1989 (Therapeutic Goods Act) by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
Homeopathic preparations are considered to pose a low direct risk. Those that contain
ingredients more dilute than 1:10,000 parts and do not contain substances of animal or
human origin are currently exempt from the requirement to be included on the
Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG)1.
Homeopathy in the United Kingdom
The UK Government directly funds homeopathy through the National Health Service.
The UK House of Commons Science and Technology Committee evaluated the use
and funding of homeopathy in the UK and released a report, Evidence Check 2:
Homeopathy, Fourth Report of Session 2009–10 (Homeopathy Report).
On the basis of reviews and analyses of randomised control trials of homeopathic
treatments, the Homeopathy Report took the view that homeopathy is no more
efficacious than placebo. In reaching its conclusion, the Homeopathy Report noted
that:
− the principle of like-cures-like is theoretically weak; and
− the principle that ultra-dilutions can maintain an imprint of substances
previously dissolved in them is scientifically implausible.
The findings of the Homeopathy Report are the basis of the NHMRC‟s public
statement on homeopathy.
NHMRC‟s position is that it is unethical for health practitioners to treat patients using
homeopathy, for the reason that homeopathy (as a medicine or procedure) has been
shown not to be efficacious.
References
AMA (American Medical Association) (2006). Report of the Council of Ethical and
Judicial Affairs 2-I-06. Available at:
www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/code-medical-ethics/8083a.pdfSTC (UK House of Commons Science and Technology Committee) (2010). Evidence
Check 2: Homeopathy, Fourth Report of Session 2009–10. London, House of
Commons, 22 February. Available at:
www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmselect/cmsctech/45/45.pdfWHO (World Health Organization) (2009). Safety issues in the preparation of
homeopathic medicines. Geneva, Available at:
www.who.int/entity/medicines/areas/traditional/Homeopathy.pdf1
The TGA maintains a list of medicines approved for supply in the Australian market. The ARTG is
accessible to the public via the TGA website.
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http://transgallaxys.com/~aktenschrank/homoeopathen_wahn/Homeopathy_is_a_crime.jpghttp://transgallaxys.com/~aktenschrank/homoeopathen_wahn/Homeopathy_is_a_crime_2.jpgdas PDF:
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