Minutus

So on the one hand there are thousands or one or two shills commenting on
every homoepathic article that it is placebo and now they are trying to
implicate the deaths of 10,000 with homeopathy. The implication in the bill is
that only naturopaths can prescribe homeopathic medicines. I would say most
naturopaths do not study very much homeopathy in their schools. Maybe
someone should mention at this FDA meeting about the man someone mentioned
last week who was a homeopath who started the FDA in the first place. I do
know that the FDA can be sued. Who starts those on-line petitions that people
can sign? Are those effective? I'm all for calling my congress person and
even explaining the issue to my senator. I'd even go door to door if It was
necessary to gather names and give the people on the side of homeopathy
stamped postcards to send to their congress person(if I could get some stamp
money)

We need to post the link for comments to this bill on the federal registry. The research techniques that are used for patented drugs should not be the protocol in studying the effectiveness of homeopathic remedies. Patented drugs is one size fits alll...not so with homeopathy.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone

Hi Carol,
You asked "Who starts those on-line petitions that people can sign? "
There are a few places to do this and are done by individuals just like you!
http://www.care2.com/takeaction

Updates for petition results indicate a good bit of success.

http://www.gofundme.com

These are two sites and there may be others.
Problem with *door to door* approach is the majority of people have no knowledge of homeopathy. Though many are exploring alternative health, homeopathy is still something many people are not familiar with.
Unfortunately, even those who seek better health via *alternative* methods, are uninformed just what some of the *terms* really mean. Some time ago, my family business was an organic bakery. Customers sought us out as they had heard organic food was a good thing but had no real idea what organic actually meant. One man, a dentist (!), asked if that meant the baked goods had manure in it!
But..........I believe many, many people support an individual's right to free choice in their health care and that many, many are seeking alternative methods, whatever the methods! So a petition on such as Care2 offers might just be a really great idea! Good for you to think of it! - Georgianna

The big benefit of an online petition is that it can be easily shared by other people around their networks (social and private) so that information on what is happening gets out to others.

Yes, signatures are important but the ability to rapidly share is what brings those signatures in - and gets that important information out.

It is vitally important to strongly link any petition to a loss of freedoms and choice in healthcare as many people don't understand what homeopathy is.

Tell them it is about to be taken away from THEM, not just us, and tell them what that will then mean - the sort of things they will no longer be able to treat themselves at home, or by consultation with a homeopath.

Tell them that homeopathy is being used as the thin end of the wedge as they are coming for all alternative therapies and medicines. Explain what this will mean to them. Please see my next email about this last point.

Fran.

Let's make sure we understand what is going on before crafting any petitions.
Is there actually a bill drafted and pending? My understanding was that the FDA announcement of a public hearing was to "gather information." For what purpose? is the first question that needs to be asked. At whose behest? is the next.
The FDA announcement refers to a reported 10,000 + "incidents" involving purported homeopathic preparations. We don't know what was in those items, even whether they were indeed homeopathic formulations. (Of course, if they were combos, they were by definition NOT homeopathic because they failed to match remedy to symptoms.)
Incident information comes from the American Association of Poison Control Centers 2012 report, which initially lumps homeopathics with herbals and other supplements. The 10,000+ figure, however, supposedly includes only homeopathics. Okay, how are these defined? What were the types of uses/abuses that resulted in these reported incidents? What was the nature of each incident?
I suppose one could file an FOIA demand for the full detailed report on all 10,000+ incidents. Lacking that, however, it might be worth noting that there were slightly more incidents in 2012 involving proton pump inhibitors -- and I don't see any moves on the FDA's part to restrict their OTC sales.
I think there's a strong argument to be made that the FDA has no business regulating individual homeopathic remedies since these are NOT drugs and do NOT work by biochemical mechanisms. Nor do they seek to suppress symptoms, unlike allopathic medications. Homeopathics, in other words, can only be judged by homeopaths who understand this system of healing, not by those versed only in conventional medicine.
Peace,
Dale
It's also worth noting that the FDA's announcement refers to the surge in spending on homeopathics (again, not defined) in the last few years. One could infer that it's the money going to non-pharmaceuticals that has them concerned, not the purported "incidents."

I received a message from Dr. Shelton. He said this first:

Right now this hearing is about regulations that govern the manufacture of OVER THE COUNTER HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES used for conditions that folks self diagnose

If in fact it turns out that DOCTORS are using these remedies to treat MAJOR ILLNESS then that can push these remedies into PRESCRIPTION ONLY categories

Can you see the problems that would create.
Our position needs to be that the regulation (known as 400.400) are correct as is for their CURRENT OTC APPROVED USE.

If all of a sudden a lot of folks come forward and start saying---yes I CURED MY CANCER with these little pills I bought in a health food store (EVEN IF TRUE) then the FDA could start DEMANDING that all the little pills found in health food stores NEED PRESCRIPTIONS
People keep saying there is a bill, but I don't think so. If there is one, show me what it is! They have to have a hearing and then they go through their review. For example: they had hearing after hearing on Keystone XL. No bill on that. Now we're waiting still for the Department of State review. After that one, Obama can still kill it.
Dr. Shelton also said this. I have no idea what it means... someone please explain:

Our position needs to be that the regulation (known as 400.400) are correct as is for their CURRENT OTC APPROVED USE.

If all of a sudden a lot of folks come forward and start saying---yes I CURED MY CANCER with these little pills I bought in a health food store (EVEN IF TRUE) then the FDA could start DEMANDING that all the little pills found in health food stores NEED PRESCRIPTIONS.
Well, we know at least one homeopathic doctor (Dr. Shelton) is going to DC to present his case. Also, when Laurie sent the message to the group I wrote back to her because I thought she represented Dr. Shelton and was asking us to go to work, but she said she is a Canadian homeopathic activist and does not represent Dr. Shelton. That's why I wrote to him personally to see how we could help. Frankly, he is concerned that we might make a bigger problem (as I quoted from him above). Again, I acted becasue I received the message from Debby B from Homeopathic World Community and posted that here.

However, then the NCH message came through to "sit tight."
Yes, it's none their business, but they have found the way to make it their business. Dale, please explain what he means about the 400.400... The entire situation is not organized from top down. That's why we have all the confusion.

I'm waiting to hear back from Dr. Shelton because I sent him another few questions.

Vicki

Glad Dale brought up the combo issue.
Maybe because I'm on Lach this week so feeling very less suspicious than usual but my reading of the FDA Federal Register filing is not to do away with HPUS and what is considered legal homeopathic "drugs" but to get a handle on and regulate all the products that have come forth made from HPUS ingredients that haven't been tested.
Isn't that what we classical homeopaths want?? Protect and uphold what homeopathy really is?
Right now, any company can release a combo product that was never proven by classical homeopathy standards.
Is that right to do?
Allopathic drugs can't do that, why should it be allowed to lump various homeopathic medicines of various potencies in one pill and sell it with no testing yet claim all the benefits of each remedy it contains?
And we've already discussed here that there could be harm done by combos,
There could be a nefarious undercurrent going on for this action, and there still is no agenda published for an event happening so soon, only says to be announced.
So, the only ones who might have to really be concerned are companies making non-classical, unproven homeopathic products.
This appears different than Australia, I don't get the impression on the surface that the FDA is looking to discredit HPUS homeopathic single remedies by showing they useless and placebo.
As for testifying at the hearing, those who are helped, cured by classical homeopathy we should show what CLASSICAL homeopathy does which many FDA members may never have heard about, but doesn't support reasons to allow combos to go unchecked.
What cured cases do we have by combos?
Right now, homeopathy in the USA is like Kleenex, it's become common to use the brand name Kleenex vs. saying a tissue.
About time homeopathy becomes respected, not diluted by companies out to market and make money off the term homeopathic
The FDA says they are looking into "homeopathic" products, not homeopathy as a valid form of medicine.
Though, I don't feel the FDA meeting will provide enough time, or their interest, to delve into the nuances of classical vs. non.
Then again, I'm highly Lach-ed out, so forgive me if I'm missing something.
Happy Holidays!
Susan

And just why would you think anyone allied with this endeavor would know anything about h'pathy, given credence even if they did, or be actually able to discern which combos work? After all, the whole issue with combos is that even if there is some sort of good result, one can never be sure which of the elements rang the bell.

I don't even trust most of the homeopaths I know:) And the last thing I want is more interference by the government, the medical establishment, or any company engaged in marketing combo remedies. There is no such thing as a combo remedy that has been proven by classical homeopathy standards, and never will be, by their definition. And the "approval" or "respect" for combo remedies is, right now, already one of the biggest problems we have in gaining true acceptance for the healing art: "Oh, I tried this homeopathic remedy for my (whatever), and it didn't do anything, so...."

With respect, Susan, that must be a heck of a dose you took, because I know you aren't that nuts:)

--

Ginny Wilken

gwilken@fastmail.fm