Calling all UK homeopaths! Important developments are occurring in your profession, and we believe the current campaign directed at UK Members of Parliament (MPs) won’t give you all the information you need. Download and read our new feature right away!
A high-profile campaign by representatives of homeopathy in the UK claims that long-cherished prescribing rights are on the verge of being lost, with the result that patients will find it far more difficult to get the specific homeopathic remedies they need.
The concerns stem from a spot of legal spring-cleaning being performed by the UK’s medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Having decided, quite rightly, that UK medicines legislation is fragmented, overly complex and difficult to follow, the MHRA is in the process of consolidating all the relevant laws into one piece of legislation.
A consultation took place earlier this year, and homeopaths, their professional organisations and homeopathic pharmacies all contributed concerns and suggestions. According to the letter-writing campaign, these concerns were not acted upon by the MHRA – and the consolidated legislation will cause enormous difficulties for UK homeopaths and their patients.
When we looked into it, we found that the legal situation appears to be somewhat at odds with the information provided in the campaign. In short, we don’t think that the MHRA’s legal consolidation will change anything, because professional homeopaths in the UK have never had the legal right to prescribe anything – and that includes the unlicensed homeopathic remedies that constitute the major part of the Materia Medica.
UK homeopaths – if you are going to make an informed decision about this issue, and perhaps your professional future, you owe it to yourself to read our feature. Homeopathy exists in a legal grey area, and we don’t feel that the current campaign provides all the facts you need.
It’s not just the UK…
Confusion about homeopathy is the norm throughout Europe. According to Steve Gordon, General Secretary of the European Central Council of Homeopaths, “The situation elsewhere in the EU is, at least, heterogeneous. In fact, it’s a complete mess. The EU Directives have attempted to harmonise the situation across Europe…but the unharmonised way the new regulations are being interpreted and implemented in many countries is making it more difficult and expensive for the manufacturing companies to make their products. It’s a bit of a nightmare for everyone.”
List of homeopathic pharmacies
Professional organisations:
Alliance of Registered Homeopaths
British Homeopathic Association
Homeopathic Medical Association
Other organisations that may be involved in the campaign:
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12 Responses
These unlicensed homeopathic medicines are not being marketed therefore EU regs dont apply so long as a pharmacy fulfills an unsolicited request from a member of the public. Therefore the GPhC regulates the supply of unlicensed homeopathic medicines from pharmacies. Now if the GPhC dumps homeopathy then Peter who writes Malleus (I cant believe you dont know who he is) may be happy.(If that is possible) You dont mention that the MHRA only pursue complaints that it is ‘in the public interest’ to pursue. With many MPs following this issue both the MHRA and GPhC will have to be very carefull about enforcment.
The 2005 regulations wont apply as the pharmacies are supplying these unlicensed medicines as extemperaneous nostrums in the case of supply to the general public. The GPhC do not consider this pharmacy supply route as ‘marketed- not when I asked them anyway.’ Maybe they have or will change their policy on this? Someone is in for a shock here. It wont be long before we know who is right.
I have an appointment to meet with THE Health Minister at surgery this month. 12 days time. I have 2 letters sitting in his surgery which he has reviewed. I have 14 minutes so whilst I read the varying views above, could we collectively agree the beginning of what I will continue to hound him about as long as he remains my MP?
I think “Anonymous” and “Scepticus norvegicus” – if not the same person – both misunderstand the difference being marketing and “placing on the market”.
Hello everyone! This article certainly stirred some interest and controversy, and to further clarify our position we’ve just posted a blog piece by Adam Smith, ANH-Intl science & communications officer and the original author of the piece. You can find it here: http://anhinternational.org/blog/uk-homeopathy-a-clarification-of-a-clarification.