Volume 108 Number 2
54 AJHM Summer 2015
Homeopathic Product Regulation
Philadelphia.
1
I am also a past president of the American Institute
of Homeopathy, the oldest extant medical society in the
United States, and have served in every officer position
on the Board of Trustees. Currently, I am a member of
the organization and speak today as a representative at the
FDA proceedings.
I am here to address the question, “Do consumers and
health care providers have adequate information to make
informed decisions about drug products labeled as homeo-
pathic? If not, what information, including, for example,
information in labeling, would allow consumers and health
care providers to be better informed about products labeled
as homeopathic?”
I started studying complementary medicine, particularly
homeopathy, during my last year of medical school, thirty
five years ago after witnessing how patients would take
medications, sometimes more than two or three at a time,
on an unending course without an improvement in their
quality of life and, at best, with a limited improvement in
their chronic symptoms.
Initially, I was skeptical about homeopathy but decided
to learn the principles and their application to verify its
validity. Though I don’t believe homeopathy is a panacea,
a cure all, I have found it to be a very useful tool in my
therapeutic toolbox. I estimate that I have been able to treat
about 70 to 80% of my patients with homeopathic medi-
cines alone, for a variety of conditions commonly seen in
primary medical practice.
People come to me by referral, from other patients or
from colleagues familiar with my work. I don’t consider
myself any more gifted at treating patients than any other
colleague, conventional or homeopathic, and still, people
seek my services because of my expertise in homeopathy.
My patients believe it is a very important part of their
healthcare and I believe I have been able to treat my pa-
tients in a clinical and cost effective way. My experiences
as a homeopath are not unique, and they are shared by my
peers and colleagues.
Informed Decisions for Homeopathic
Product Use by Consumers and Health
Care Providers
While this report is generated from my personal experi-
ence in the university and private practice setting, most of
the AIH physicians who I communicate with on a regular
basis report a similar experience with regards to both pro-
vider and consumer information on homeopathic drugs.
Patients come to us either with information from other
patients or they have learned about homeopathy from other
sources, including internet searches. The great majority
know what they want, and are familiar with the process of
homeopathic treatment. It is common for patients to seek
1
The views and positions presented here do not necessarily
represent those of Thomas Jefferson University and Hospital.
homeopathic treatment after years of unsuccessful efforts
to obtain relief for their ailments through conventional
medicine from very caring, learned and skilled colleagues.
When I see patients who are not sufficiently informed
about homeopathy, my office provides patient education
and we provide links to resources available through the
AIH and by other organizations that provide education on
homeopathy.
Most colleagues who refer patients to me have little
knowledge of homeopathy; they just have positive reports
from some of their patients who have used homeopathy. At
other times patients want me to consult with their primary
doctors to discuss the treatment options I offer. I provide
such information, as it is requested or as needed, by my
colleague for the better care of our mutual patient.
Although, a group of more than 50 US and Canadian
medical schools and teaching hospitals, called the Consor-
tium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine,
include CAM in its curricula, there is still considerable
opposition to its inclusion. More education and training
regarding CAM, and homeopathy in particular, at least in
an open, non-biased manner, could help to clarify the role
of homeopathy in healthcare. (Howell, 2012)
Very often my patients will inform me that they have
purchased some homeopathic product in the market, and
want to know whether they should start it and how to use
it. For urgent non-serious matters, I may recommend a
homeopathic OTC product for them to take, until I can see
them in my office at the earliest available appointment.
My patients have enough information from the current
labelling on homeopathic products to decide when and
how to use the medicines. That doesn’t mean that labelling
could not be improved or that additional education efforts
would not be of value to the public or practitioners about
homeopathy and OTC homeopathic products.
Howcan thepublicandhealthcareproviders
becomemore informedabout homeopathy?
The World Health Organization (WHO) has identi ed
three types of health system structures in relation to Tra-
ditional Medicine/Complementary Alternative Medicine
(TM/CAM):
1) an integrative health system
2) an inclusive health system
3) a tolerant health system (2)
In the integrative system, TM/CAM is officially recog-
nized and incorporated into all areas of health care pro-
vision. In the inclusive system, TM/CAM is recognized
but not integrated into the healthcare system. The tolerant
health system is comprised entirely of conventional medi-
cine and TM/CAM practices are not officially recognized
as therapeutic methods or as health enhancement practices
within national healthcare systems.
Based on my experience, I believe the health care sys-
tem in the United States is more of the third kind, tolerant.
