Official Swiss Government Study and Report Dramatically Affirms Homeopathy’s Positive Results, Safety and Cost Effectiveness

A new study and report by the Swiss Government has been published in an English book form.  It is the most comprehensive study of homeopathy undertaken  by a government.  As reported on Huffington Post the report is the most significant and largest study of homeopathy ever undertaken.

“The Health Technology Assessment report on effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and appropriateness of homeopathy was compiled on behalf of the Swiss Federal Office for Public Health (BAG) within the framework of the ‘Program of Evaluation of Complementary Medicine (PEK)”.

After carefully monitoring homeopathic treatment in Switzerland and also taking an extensive overview of all scientific studies of homeopathy it concludes that “taking internal and external validity criteria into account, effectiveness of homeopathy can be supported by clinical evidence and professional and adequate application be regarded as safe”(PubMed).  They concluded that homeopathic treatment should continued to be reimbursed by Switzerland’s national health insurance program.

“The Swiss government’s “Health Technology Assessment” on homeopathic medicine is much more comprehensive than any previous governmental report written on this subject to date. Not only did this report carefully and comprehensively review the body of evidence from randomized double-blind and placebo controlled clinical trials testing homeopathic medicines, they also evaluated the “real world effectiveness” as well as safety and cost-effectiveness. The report also conducted a highly-comprehensive review of the wide body of preclinical research (fundamental physio-chemical research, botanical studies, animal studies, and in vitro studies with human cells).

And still further, this report evaluated systematic reviews and meta-analyses, outcome studies, and epidemiological research. This wide review carefully evaluated the studies conducted, both in terms of quality of design and execution (called “internal validity”) and how appropriate each was for the way that homeopathy is commonly practiced (called “external validity”).

After assessing pre-clinical basic research and the high quality clinical studies, the Swiss report affirmed that homeopathic high-potencies seem to induce regulatory effects (e.g., balancing or normalizing effects) and specific changes in cells or living organisms. The report also reported that 20 of the 22 systematic reviews of clinical research testing homeopathic medicines detected at least a trend in favor of homeopathy.* (Bornhöft, Wolf, von Ammon, et al, 2006)

The Swiss report noted that the Shang team [who authored the Lancet meta-analysis] did not even adhere to the QUORUM guidelines which are widely recognized standards for scientific reporting (Linde, Jonas, 2005).

Dana Ullman MPH on Huffington Post

British Members of Parliament Stand Behind Homeopathy

An Early Day Motion by David Tredinnick MP and signed by over 30 40 45 61 70 members of the British parliament expressed concern about the Science and Technology Report on Homeopathy and also says that the major witnesses against had “no expertise in the subject” and that more expert witnesses and “evidence from abroad” in support of homeopathy should have been called. They go on to mention the many scientific randomized controlled trials and studies verifying homeopathy.

That this House expresses concern at the conclusions of the Science and Technology Committee’s Report, Evidence Check on Homeopathy; notes that the Committee took only oral evidence from a limited number of witnesses, including known critics of homeopathy Tracy Brown*, the Managing Director of Sense About Science, and journalist Dr Ben Goldacre^, who have no expertise in the subject; believes that evidence should have been heard from primary care trusts that commission homeopathy, doctors who use it in a primary care setting, and other relevant organisations, such as the Society of Homeopaths, to provide balance; observes that the Committee did not consider evidence from abroad from countries such as France and Germany, where provision of homeopathy is far more widespread than in the UK, or from India, where it is part of the health service; regrets that the Committee ignored the 74 randomised controlled trials comparing homeopathy with placebo, of which 63 showed homeopathic treatments were effective, and that the Committee recommends no further research; further notes that 206 hon. Members signed Early Day Motion No. 1240 in support of NHS homeopathic hospitals in Session 2006-07; and calls on the Government to maintain its policy of allowing decision-making on individual clinical interventions, including homeopathy, to remain in the hands of local NHS service providers and practitioners who are best placed to know their community’s needs.

*Tracy Brown was a public relations consultant for pharmaceutical companies and Sense about Science is funded by conventional pharmaceutical companies.

^Dr. Ben Goldacre has received “awards” from pharmaceutical companies for some of his activities.