Homeopathy in the 21st Century, and Comparisons with Hahnemann.

BACKGROUND: Homeopathy has survived the test of time over more than 200 years and has been accepted by many consumers and practitioners across the world as being an important constituent of health care. It continues to provide successful outcomes in a wide range of conditions using traditional and newer approaches to practice and is expanding into integrated health care. This article discusses modern developments in homeopathic theory, homeopharmaceutics, homeotherapeutics, and patient access. It also considers how Hahnemann might have responded to these changes. COMMENTARY: Theoretical explanations for homeopathic mechanisms of action are complex and can involve ideas that conflict with established thinking amongst non-homeopaths. The use of different pharmacopoeial standards in the manufacture of remedies and variations in nomenclature continues to cause confusion for practitioners and patients. It also causes problems for manufacturers in providing the documentation required by national regulatory authorities to support licensing applications. Interaction with these bodies and other stakeholders is vital, to ensure the continued availability of a full range of homeopathic medicines. The incorporation of a homeopathic section within the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.), which is used by many countries globally, is a positive development in promoting the standardisation of remedies. With increasing reliance now on evidence-based medicine, scientifically trained colleagues and sceptics have cast doubt on the validity of the observational studies that form much of the homeopathic evidence base. RECOMMENDATIONS: The homeopathy community should engage as fully as possible in robust research to validate homeopathic practices, thus ensuring the viability of homeopathy in the future. There is an ongoing need for homeopathic practitioners to review their procedures regularly and take account of changes in patient demographics and lifestyle, and in modern methods of health care delivery. Colleagues should also be aware of patients' emerging abilities to critically assess treatment options and to judge outcomes. Future opportunities exist for homeopathy in new concepts of integrated health care that includes a range of other therapies, as well as in veterinary and environmental health. There is also the possibility of homeopathy joining social care services to improve accessibility to health care by making it available in a range of different community settings. CONCLUSION: Hahnemann would likely have been unimpressed by the less positive contemporary influences on homeopathic practice.

Homoeopathic veterinary prescribing

An historical outline of veterinary homoeopathy is given together with brief reasons for the recent increase in demand for homoeopahtic treatment and limiting factors preventing wider acceptance of the discipline. A pilot survey is described by homoeopathic veterinarians have been identified together with their applications

Homoeopathy in sports medicine

Having considered the advantages to the athlete of using homoeopathy in sports medicine, some of the many opportunities to treat acute conditions are discussed. Examples of appropriate generic and OTC medicines are given. It is concluded that homoeopathy can be used successfully to complement, or in some cases to replace, existing techniques of treating sports-related conditions

An agricultural application of homoeopathy

A field trial in which four homoepathic sprays were applied to rye grass is reported. The aim of the trial was to determine whether any significant effect on growth could be achieved when compared with similar applications of nitrogen fertilizer, and a control. At the particular dosages and strengths chosen no such effect was perceived; however a method for testing homoeopathic sprays were established. The results are presented and analyzed. Suggestions are made for further work

Survey on the teaching of complementary medicine in British schools of pharmacy

The 16 UK schools of pharmacy were surveyed to investigate whether undergraduate students were exposed to teaching in complementary medicine. 56//replied positively, with course varying in length from 1-2 hours up to 20 hours. Of the 44//who replied negatively, 30//indicated that they thought they would teach the subject in the future

A pilot study of the attitudes and awareness of homoeopathy shown by patients in three Manchester pharmacies

This pilot study was designed to determine public awareness of, and attitudes to, homoeopathy by distributing a questionnaire to a random sample of patients attending three pharmacies in different areas of Greater Manchester. It was found that 78percent of the people had some degree of knowledge of homoeopathy, but a significant number of these were adjudged as being from social classes A, B and C. Attitudes did not appear to differ between those who had used homeopathy and those who had not, there being a positive view in general. A need for a continuing homeopathic education programme for prescribers and the provision of more information for potential patients was identified

Homoeopathy - A pilot study of the attitudes and awareness of pharmacy staff in th Stoke-on-Trent area

The survey was designed to study the attitudes of a sample of pharmacists,technicians and unqualified staff towards homeopathy, and their understanding of the principles involved. The most significant findings were that the majority of those who expressed a view (i.e. excluding the don't knows) were favourable to homeopathy, but there was little understanding of the subject. Most pharmacists thought that homoeopathic medicines worked "by faith". An urgent need for an education programme was demonstrated

A study of remedies prescribed at Glasgow Homoeopathic Hospital

In order to determine prescribing trends, data on the numbers of homoeopathic prescriptions in a winter month in four years were collected at the Glasgow Homoeopathic Hospital. The level of experience of prescribing doctors were also calculated. The most commonly prescribed medecine was Natrum muriaticum, the most frequently used dilution was 200c. (AU)

The use of arsenicum album 30c to complement conventional treatment of neonatal diarrhoea ('scours') in calves

In a pilot double blind study carried out in Scotland, the effect of supplementing a conventional treatment plan with homoeopathic Arsenicum album was studies. In the management of neonatal calf scour it appeared that more animals recovered after one day in the group that had received active medicine, than in the placebo group. These results are encouraging

Hacia un consenso en termilogia y semantica / Toward a consensus in terminology and semantics

Este proyecto pretende describir una terminologia homeopatica comun que permita la comunicacion eficaz con el gremio medico y en ciencias naturales. Se envio un cuestionario por correo electronico a un grupo internacional de expertos en homeopatia. Como resultado de un proceso iterativo propusimos... (AU)

Hacia un consenso en termilogia y semantica / Toward a consensus in terminology and semantics

Este proyecto pretende describir una terminologia homeopatica comun que permita la comunicacion eficaz con el gremio medico y en ciencias naturales. Se envio un cuestionario por correo electronico a un grupo internacional de expertos en homeopatia. Como resultado de un proceso iterativo propusimos...