Vaccination prepares the body’s immune system in the same way “natural” exposure to infection does. It just does it in a safer, controlled way with a much lower dose.
Evidence homeopathy works is pretty clear: it doesn’t.
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A review into pharmacy practices last year recommended pharmacies stop selling ineffective remedies such as homeopathy. The government didn’t support the recommendation.
Pharmacies are trusted medical professionals, so people trust their products.
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An international study has dismissed the effectiveness of a homeopathic flu remedy but it is still being advertised in South Africa as a viable solution.
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Holistic dentistry claims to promote overall wellness rather than simply treating disease. But the lack of evidence for the alternative therapies underpinning it are cause for concern.
The statement by the NHMRC is based on a summary of research on homeopathy’s effectiveness for treating health conditions.
Guillaume Brialon/Flickr
Two years in the making, a statement released by the National Health and Medicine Research Council has found no reliable evidence that homeopathy is effective.
Homeopathic medicines are not drugs and homeopathy involves much more than the use of a particular therapy.
Oonagh Taeger/Flickr
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) recently completed a review of the evidence for homeopathy’s effectiveness and, after analysing systematic reviews of clinical trials, concluded…
Science or pseudoscience?
Flickr/Aff (formerly Odd Bod)
The word “pseudoscience” is used to describe something that is portrayed as scientific but fails to meet scientific criteria. This misrepresentation occurs because actual science has creditability (which…
There is nothing more likely to raise the hackles of any self-respecting rationalist than to be confronted with the latest celebrity story about the miraculous healing power of homeopathy or some other…
Homeopaths believe water has memory. That is how they explain the “medicinal properties” of their concoctions. Apparently people are treated even though the pill or potion may not contain a single molecule…
Prince or medical expert: which hat shall I wear today?
PA/Eddie Mulholland
A constitutional monarch is purely ceremonial and plays no part in politics. But in the UK it isn’t quite as simple as that. The first problem is that we have no constitution. Things haven’t changed much…
The ACCC is taking legal action over claims homeopathic remedies are a safe and effective alternative for the prevention and treatment of whooping cough.
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The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has instituted Federal Court proceedings against a repeat offender over allegedly misleading claims on a homeopathy website. The regulator is targeting…
Recent consultations found continued inaction on regulatory matters means the community has lost trust in the TGA.
Pharmacare Laboratories' website
Pharmacare Laboratories is facing a new complaint about its Kids Smart homeopathic medicines amid concerns parents who use the products may delay seeking medical treatment. The complaint – lodged by a…
Could a Canadian-style class action dent the credibility of homeopathy in Australia?
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One hundred years of rigorous scientific research hasn’t dented the faith of adherents of homeopathy. The complementary therapy is still centred on the notion that water has a therapeutic “memory” and…
Treasurer Wayne Swan delivering the Budget on Tuesday.
AAP
It’s good news indeed that the Federal Budget is providing the chief medical officer with a million dollars to review what works and what doesn’t in the world of “natural” medicine. Professor Chris Baggoley…
The Conversation’s health coverage: policy, chiropractic, obesity and medicine.
AAP, Planetc1.com, Puuiki Beach, LJA Kliche
In The Conversation’s first editorial meeting editor Andrew Jaspan explained what he wanted to achieve with the site: a more informed level of debate, based on evidence, research and expert opinion. It…
Treatments should be based on how well they make people feel rather than how scientific or traditional the medicine is.
By Wikidudeman
Homeopathy is a combination of tradition, art and a science that has been used for centuries. Does it really matter if its effect is placebo if it makes people feel better and regain good health? And why…
The NHMRC’s draft statement on homeopathy is too narrow.
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The ethics of homeopathy was once again thrust into the spotlight yesterday after a leaked draft of the National Health and Medical Research Council’s statement on homeopathy revealed the agency was considering…
Professor of Bioethics & Medicine, Sydney Health Ethics, Haematologist/BMT Physician, Royal North Shore Hospital and Director, Praxis Australia, University of Sydney