O medicamento homeopático provoca efeitos adversos ou agravações medicamentos-dependentes? / Does the homeopathic medicine cause adverse effects or drug-dependent aggravations?
Critical appraisal of the safety of homeopathic medicines developed recently. This is an important matter for decision making by doctors, patients and medicines regulatory authorities. Despite the apparent implausibility of the action of homeopathic medicines due to the pharmacotechnical processes of dilution and agitation involved in their preparation, there are reports in the conventional medical literature on the toxicity of homeopathic medicines, including apparently life-threatening events. Systematic reviews on adverse effects of homeopathy show that homeopathic medicines provoke more adverse effects than placebo in randomized controlled trials, albeit mild and transient. It would be very important to establish an online monitoring system for collection of data on the adverse effects of homeopathic, herbal or conventional medicines to attain an impartial evaluation of the information gathered from consumers or health professionals. (AU)