Activists push for homeopathy under revised EU pharma law

The supporters of the homeopathy feel that EU pharmaceutical law should cover the homeopathy as alternative medicine and should also allow access to homeopathy medication under the public health plan.

The European Commission will soon initiate a review of EU pharmaceutical laws. The members of the homeopathy industry, homeopathy doctors and even patients that use homeopathy medicines are planning to hold 23 March as an EU homeopathy day in the European Parliament. The lobbyists of the industry and their MEP allies believe that the best time to press their demand is the launching of review of EU pharmaceutical Laws.

According to the Irish liberal euro-deputy Marian Harkin, who is also an organizer of the event in the parliament, the main purpose of the event is to add homeopathy into EU health policy and review of EU pharmaceutical Laws will be the best opportunity for the same.

The method of treatment invented by German physician Samuel Hahnemann in 1796 involves dilution of substances to such an extent that the original substance barely remains intact but its essence is retained in water. The substance basically helps to cause responses that are similar to the symptoms of the ailment.

However, from 1992 EU legislation has lays down provisions for the licensing of homeopathic products. But according to the Mr. de Herdt, the president of the European Coalition on Homeopathic and Anthroposophic Medicinal Products (Echamp) these laws are now considered as outdated. Hence he suggested that this time instead of using the health legislation route to press their demands, the industry lobbyists should try single market rules where the EU has the greater authority.

Even Ms. Harkin also supports the single market rules. She said,

"If we look at the EU and what it's basically about, it's about ensuring the free movement of people, goods and services across the union. So from that perspective, we can get legislation in this area."

However, the Influential Scientific Committee of the House of Commons in UK criticized the homeopathy practices saying that there was no evidence which proved that homeopathy medicines does anything more than the placebo effect and therefore manufacturers should stop  making medical claims for their homeopathy products.