Homeopathy is given a rough ride in Germany
Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2010 6:45 pm
They published an editted version of my comment. Where I asked as Prof of Comp Med what has done
for Comp Med was all deleted!
Please see
http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/story.asp?s ... zk4MjY3MwS
2&sp_mid=35617362
Homeopathy is given a rough ride
20 Jul 10
Edzard Ernst looks across to our German cousins for a lesson in how to look at homeopathy.
On 12 July 2010, ‘Der Spiegel’ (probably the most important German weekly magazine) published a
well-researched title story on homeopathy.
It contained much relevant information that most GPs might not be aware of. As the typical British
GP does not read German, I provide a very short summary here (all quotes are my translations).
• 57% of all Germans have tried homeopathy and 25% are convinced users.
• More that 3000 German pharmacists and 6712 doctors have formal training in homeopathy. The latter
figure has trebled since 1993.
• The turn over of the homeopathic industry is two billion Euros per year.
• Homeopathic remedies cost between seven and 120 Euros in German pharmacies. The very highly
diluted ones are the most expensive because of the time it takes to do the dilutions.
• Dr Winderler, who will take over in September, as director of the IQWiG (the German equivalent of
NICE) has looked into the evidence and is quoted as saying ‘Homeopathy is a speculative, disproven
concept… There is no need for further research, the matter is closed.’
• Prof Lanterbach, the SPD health spokesman is quoted as demanding that one should simply forbid all
health insurers to reimburse homeopathy.
• Klaus Linde, the first author of a much-cited, positive meta-analysis (Linde et al, Lancet 1997)
is quoted as saying ‘we can no longer uphold our conclusions, because positive results can be caused
by bias’.
• Nan De Herdt, President of a lobby group for homeopathy, is ‘every second week’ in Brussels to try
to influence EU politicians in favour of homeopathy.
• Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy saw no way to unite conventional medicine and homeopathy. He
thought that even attempting such integration would be ‘criminal treason on the divine homeopathy.’
• Peter Alex, Chair of the Homeopathic College in Hahnemann’s former residence, insists that cancers
can be treated homoeopathically. ‘Only if the tumor is bigger than a fist and begins to
disintegrate, should we operate.’
The original article extended over 10 printed pages and generated about 5000 on-line comments. As
far as I could see, most agreed with the critical tone of the ‘Spiegel’ journalists.
Professor Edzard Ernst is professor of complementary medicine at Peninsula Medical School
Readers' comments
Philip Hayden | 20 Jul 10
Professor, is that 25% of all Germans, or 25% of the 57%?
Donald Scott - Helensburgh | 20 Jul 10
As NICE stands for the National Institute for Clinical Excellence-what does the acronym 'IQWiG'
represent in this article, Professor?
Peter Conway | 21 Jul 10
And yet, according to the BMJ, (2010;341:c3902): 'Despite the fact that some German pharmacology
experts would like to see public health insurers cease paying for it, the German Medical Association
(Bundesärztekammer) has come out in favour of keeping its reimbursement.' 'The association’s
president, Jörg-Dietrich Hoppe, has defended homoeopathic treatment in an official statement. He
said that despite the lack of scientific evidence for its effectiveness homoeopathy was an important
part of medicine. It was especially effective in treating travel sickness and general malaise but
also in preventing disease, he said.'
Edzard Ernst | 21 Jul 10
Donald:"institut fuer qualitat und wirtschaftlichkeit im gesundheitswesen" - try to say that fast 3
times after a bottle of wine! Philip: the way it was reported ,it means 25% of all germans - I know,
they are weird those Germans!
Soroush Ebrahimi | 21 Jul 10
There are so many studies to show the effectiveness of homeopathy - one of the best was shown on BBC
2's QED programme in early 1990's - but all these guys do is to find fault in a nit picking manner.
Surely the best way forward is close liaison between those who wish to test homeopathy and
experienced homeopaths - design a good experiment and agree a protocol to be followed closely and
then to proceed. Prof Ernst's team carried out a trial using Arnica some years back and the remedy
was used before and after operations to investigate its properties. The method was completely
inappropriate. When I asked who had advised them on the adminstration of Arnica in the manner that
they had carried it out, he did not have the simple courtsey to reply. One good place to test the
effectiveness of Arnica post surgically is in rhinoplasty where there are great differences between
the degree of bruising and swelling between those given a placebo and those given arnica. But the
remedy MUST be given after and not before as in Prof Ernst's experiment.
Edzard Ernst | 21 Jul 10
Ask 10 homeopaths [as we did at the time] and you get 10 different views as to when give what dose
of which potency to what type of patient.
for Comp Med was all deleted!
Please see
http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/story.asp?s ... zk4MjY3MwS
2&sp_mid=35617362
Homeopathy is given a rough ride
20 Jul 10
Edzard Ernst looks across to our German cousins for a lesson in how to look at homeopathy.
On 12 July 2010, ‘Der Spiegel’ (probably the most important German weekly magazine) published a
well-researched title story on homeopathy.
It contained much relevant information that most GPs might not be aware of. As the typical British
GP does not read German, I provide a very short summary here (all quotes are my translations).
• 57% of all Germans have tried homeopathy and 25% are convinced users.
• More that 3000 German pharmacists and 6712 doctors have formal training in homeopathy. The latter
figure has trebled since 1993.
• The turn over of the homeopathic industry is two billion Euros per year.
• Homeopathic remedies cost between seven and 120 Euros in German pharmacies. The very highly
diluted ones are the most expensive because of the time it takes to do the dilutions.
• Dr Winderler, who will take over in September, as director of the IQWiG (the German equivalent of
NICE) has looked into the evidence and is quoted as saying ‘Homeopathy is a speculative, disproven
concept… There is no need for further research, the matter is closed.’
• Prof Lanterbach, the SPD health spokesman is quoted as demanding that one should simply forbid all
health insurers to reimburse homeopathy.
• Klaus Linde, the first author of a much-cited, positive meta-analysis (Linde et al, Lancet 1997)
is quoted as saying ‘we can no longer uphold our conclusions, because positive results can be caused
by bias’.
• Nan De Herdt, President of a lobby group for homeopathy, is ‘every second week’ in Brussels to try
to influence EU politicians in favour of homeopathy.
• Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy saw no way to unite conventional medicine and homeopathy. He
thought that even attempting such integration would be ‘criminal treason on the divine homeopathy.’
• Peter Alex, Chair of the Homeopathic College in Hahnemann’s former residence, insists that cancers
can be treated homoeopathically. ‘Only if the tumor is bigger than a fist and begins to
disintegrate, should we operate.’
The original article extended over 10 printed pages and generated about 5000 on-line comments. As
far as I could see, most agreed with the critical tone of the ‘Spiegel’ journalists.
Professor Edzard Ernst is professor of complementary medicine at Peninsula Medical School
Readers' comments
Philip Hayden | 20 Jul 10
Professor, is that 25% of all Germans, or 25% of the 57%?
Donald Scott - Helensburgh | 20 Jul 10
As NICE stands for the National Institute for Clinical Excellence-what does the acronym 'IQWiG'
represent in this article, Professor?
Peter Conway | 21 Jul 10
And yet, according to the BMJ, (2010;341:c3902): 'Despite the fact that some German pharmacology
experts would like to see public health insurers cease paying for it, the German Medical Association
(Bundesärztekammer) has come out in favour of keeping its reimbursement.' 'The association’s
president, Jörg-Dietrich Hoppe, has defended homoeopathic treatment in an official statement. He
said that despite the lack of scientific evidence for its effectiveness homoeopathy was an important
part of medicine. It was especially effective in treating travel sickness and general malaise but
also in preventing disease, he said.'
Edzard Ernst | 21 Jul 10
Donald:"institut fuer qualitat und wirtschaftlichkeit im gesundheitswesen" - try to say that fast 3
times after a bottle of wine! Philip: the way it was reported ,it means 25% of all germans - I know,
they are weird those Germans!
Soroush Ebrahimi | 21 Jul 10
There are so many studies to show the effectiveness of homeopathy - one of the best was shown on BBC
2's QED programme in early 1990's - but all these guys do is to find fault in a nit picking manner.
Surely the best way forward is close liaison between those who wish to test homeopathy and
experienced homeopaths - design a good experiment and agree a protocol to be followed closely and
then to proceed. Prof Ernst's team carried out a trial using Arnica some years back and the remedy
was used before and after operations to investigate its properties. The method was completely
inappropriate. When I asked who had advised them on the adminstration of Arnica in the manner that
they had carried it out, he did not have the simple courtsey to reply. One good place to test the
effectiveness of Arnica post surgically is in rhinoplasty where there are great differences between
the degree of bruising and swelling between those given a placebo and those given arnica. But the
remedy MUST be given after and not before as in Prof Ernst's experiment.
Edzard Ernst | 21 Jul 10
Ask 10 homeopaths [as we did at the time] and you get 10 different views as to when give what dose
of which potency to what type of patient.