Phil Willis: Government should not validate placebos together with homeopathy

Since the Science and Technology Committee was re-formed in Oct 2009, we have been using a novel programme of work that we have called "Evidence Check". Its role is to inspect how the Government uses fact to delineate and examination the policies. We have asked the Government to answer dual questions: what is the policy, and on what fact is the process based?

Our second Evidence Check inform examines the Governments policies on the sustenance of homeopathy by the National Health Service (NHS) and the chartering of homeopathic products by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

We acquire the Governments confirmation that there is no convincing fact of efficiency for homeopathy, that is an evidence-based view. However, the Governments perspective has not translated in to evidence-based policies. The NHS supports homeopathy and has finished so given 1948. We were unhappy that, in the light of the perspective on fact for homeopathy, the Government has no ardour to examination the policies in foster of an evidence-based approach. The Government was demure to residence the issues of sensitive studious preference or the correspondence and ethics of prescribing placebos to patients.

The MHRA licenses homeopathic products underneath 3 opposite chartering schemes. These arrangements, in part, arose by a chronological bequest hereditary by the MHRA. We were concerned, however, that in introducing the National Rules Scheme in 2006, the MHRA chose not to take a rigorous, evidence-based proceed to chartering of homeopathic products. The MHRAs fact for introducing a intrigue needing products to have healing indications that the product labelling was stringently tested to safeguard patients would assimilate the role of the product was not evidence-based.

By on condition that homeopathy on the NHS and permitting MHRA chartering of products that subsequently crop up on pharmacy shelves, the Government runs the risk of endorsing homeopathy as an influential complement of medicine. To say studious trust, preference and safety, the Government should not validate the make use of remedy treatments, together with homeopathy. Homeopathy should not be saved on the NHS and the MHRA should stop chartering homeopathic products.

Taken from a inform published yesterday by a Commons Select Committee, of that Phil Willis MP was chairman