Pharmaca Defends Validity of Homeopathy in Response to Recent Study

Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy’s response to the August 27th issue of the British Medical Journal, The Lancet article entitled Are the clinical effects of homoeopathy placebo effects?

Overview:
A study on the specific effects of homeopathy has been published in the August 27, 2005 issue of the British weekly review, The Lancet. The study attacked homeopathy, saying the modality was ineffective. Pharmaca takes issue with the study based on the proliferation of research in favor of homeopathy.

Pharmaca’s Stance:
Don Summerfield, Vice President of Integrative Medicine said, “Pharmaca places strong faith in science and believes that properly conducted studies are an important way to learn more about many therapies. However, this recent study in The Lancet is one report that counters many other studies in support of homeopathy.”

1. Three previous meta-analyses*, reported on in The Lancet and other medical journals, concluded that homeopathic medicines were effective. The current study in question only retained information on 14 of 220 initial studies to report conclusions.
2. According to the BBC, a preliminary report from the World Health Organization finds that the majority of peer-reviewed scientific papers published over the past 40 years are favorable towards homeopathy. It adds that homeopathy is equivalent to conventional medicines in the treatment of illnesses in both humans and animals.