The Homeopathy Action Trust and the School of Homeopathy have worked together to help the profession find a voice! Please follow the links below to see two You Tube movies, the first referring to homeopathy generally and the second focussing on homeopathy for animals.

www.youtube.com/user/SchoolofHomeopathy
www.youtube.com/user/homeopathyAT

Collectively the profession is working hard, launching great projects and is on the cusp of achieving a great number of things over the next 12 months. A big part of the Homeopathy Action Trust’s work over the past year has been getting the foundations in place to enable homeopaths to make a positive impact in the media.  Even more importantly, 11 of the UKs leading homeopathic organisations have been able to work together to share responses and resources on key policy issues. The profession has been busy – click here to see just a few things that have been done. Roll on the next 12 months!

Robert Barker gives this update on the effect of the 2012 Medicines Act on homeopathic provision.

The good news is that the Department of Health continues to be in favour of patient choice and access to homeopathy as it currently stands and recognises the potential impact to patients, practitioners and homeopathic pharmacies of any changes to the way the Act is enforced. Current levels of enforcement of the act would continue in the way it has done for the past 40 years and therefore would not seek to restrict the current homeopathic provision/access routes.

Many of you will know that the new 2012 Medicines Act as it is currently drafted could be interpreted so as not to allow the sale of unlicensed homeopathic medicines by mail order. It is true to say that the current 1968 Act could be interpreted in the same way but because it hasn’t for 40 years it would be difficult to do so now. The concern has been that it becomes an entirely different scenario with a new Act where the issue of “precedence” does not apply.

The Dept of Health has said that it is not expecting the new Act to be enforced any differently. Pretty well every MP in the country has received letters on this matter. The Government is insisting it is in favour of patient choice and wants access to homeopathy to remain as it stands.

No doubt there will be attempts by the “sceptics” to use the new Act to challenge the availability of homeopathy, however it is clear that there is support for Homeopathy in “high places”. The Medicines Health and Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for enforcing the legislation and in the end has to tailor its enforcement practice to government policy.

The purpose of the new Act is to consolidate all the regulations that have been issued over the last 40 years since the 1968 Act was passed. It is therefore uncontentious legislation which gets the job done quickly and easily to the satisfaction of the health care industry. To address the issue of homeopathy and give it the “special status” it needs would stir the proverbial hornets nest!

Homeopaths have battled since their very inception for homeopathy to be accepted by the medical profession. Even as the public have demonstrated a greater and greater interest in alternative therapies the establishment becomes more entrenched in holding on to its territory.

“All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident”- Arthur Schopenhauer. History shows this in all aspects of life – just look at what the scientists went through who challenged the idea of the earth being flat.

For me, I bless the situation because I know that only good can come from it if I am willing to look for the opportunities in it.

As John Morgan (Helios) commented – give thanks for the challenge which reinforces our truth and faith. So for now it is business as usual.

A study shows that, not only do most doctors who work for football teams in the top two German football leagues (Bundesliga 1 and 2) use homeopathic remedies to keep their players healthy and fit – so does the German national football team.

Part of winning any championship is dealing with injuries — or avoiding them in the first place. A new study shows that the German national team places unusual trust in natural healing over traditional medicine.

A study just published on how German soccer docs treat aches and pains has revealed that Germany’s faith is in homeopathy.

The study, carried out by researchers from Koblenz, found that almost all (92%) all of the doctors at German football league teams prescribe homeopathic cures.

The lead researcher, Peter Billigmann, when interviewed by Der Spiegel, said, “The success stories are impressive …..homeopathic substances don’t have any side effects, and we’re on the safe side where doping is concerned.”

Following a review by Caulfield and Rachul, appearing in Canada, which dismisses homeopathy, Christopher Johnson, ND, wrote to The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine to give a longer term perspective and explains how, historically, there has been a series of misguided and poorly argued attacks against homeopathy. He shows how all the ‘high quality, positive data’ on the efficacy of homeopathy is suppressed – or ignored – in order to discredit it. The review, says, Johnson, “cites weak, biased, negative data” whilst ignoring all the high quality, positive research data proving its positive effects

To read the letter, published in April 2012, please click here.