Homeopathy no better than placebos: study
Homeopathic remedies are no better than sugar pills in treating a range of health conditions such as arthritis, migraine and asthma, according to a major Australian study.
The National Health and Medical Research Council said that if anything, since its draft analysis of 57 reviews was released last year the findings had firmed up that there was no good evidence that the alternative treatments worked.
It called on all health professionals – including natural therapists – to provide accurate information to patients and clients about the known effectiveness of homeopathy.
It also said private health insurance companies should re-think whether they offer any rebate on such unproven treatments.
Chief executive Warwick Anderson said all medical treatments and interventions should be underpinned by reliable evidence. Homeopathy should not be used to treat conditions that were chronic, serious, or could become serious.
“NHMRC’s review shows that there is no good quality evidence to support the claim that homeopathy works better than a placebo,” Professor Anderson said.
“People who choose homeopathy may put their health at risk if they reject or delay treatments for which there is good evidence for safety and effectiveness.”
He said that while the study did not look at so-called homeopathic vaccines, he recognised this was a growing area of concern among doctors.
While a future study could look at the issue, the current advice was that homeopathic vaccines had not been shown to be effective and should not be used in lieu of recognised vaccines.
