Homeopathy dismissed

In the UK’s House of Commons Science and Technology Committee's report on Homeopathy, Dr Ben Goldacre reports ‘There have now been around 200 trials of homeopathy against placebo sugar pills and, taken collectively, they show that there is no evidence that homeopathy pills are any better than a placebo.’

The UK is finally doing the right thing, recommending the termination of licenses to over-the-counter homeopathic medications which have not demonstrated effectiveness in randomized controlled trials. To date no homeopathic medications have passed such standard criteria; criteria which must be rigorously proven for all pharmaceuticals.

There is however strong evidence that the British Homeopathic Association has been using suspect, and in some cases seemingly malicious, manipulation of data to support their claims of efficacy.

Although there do not seem to be outwardly adverse reactions to the homeopathic treatments, they do serve as a distraction for patients who could be pursuing more beneficial avenues and use up valuable resources. If, after 200 years of use, there is no unambiguous evidence for positive outcomes above the placebo effect I believe it is time to put the nail in the coffin for homeopathic interventions.

Alternative sources:
House of Commons Science and Technology committee report