Just what the doctor ordered?
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The issue of homeopathy is something guaranteed to raised the blood pressure of many medics. Although it faces a backlash some countries, including the UK, the homeopathy lobby has launched a major push at EU level to make the treatment available through public health services across the bloc.
Homeopathy is an alternative treatment that claims to heal patients using highly diluted forms of substances that cause physical responses similar to the symptoms of the ailment. So, for example, insomnia might be treated with a remedy based on caffeine.
There is a fierce debate raging about its effectiveness. Supporters say it helps thousands of patients who do not respond to conventional medical treatments, but critics slam it as a "quack remedy" that has no scientific basis. They say that at best it only produces results through the placebo effect, and at worst prevent patients from seeking effective conventional treatments.
The UK is one of the EU member states where homeopathy is available through public healthcare, but last month the British Medical Association (BMA) voted for homeopathy to be banned from the National Health Service. It says that the state cannot justify spending €5 million a year on an unproven treatment, when the health service is facing €24 billion of cuts.
The BMA was backed up by a powerful parliamentary committee, which concluded that the manufacturers of homeopathic remedies can no longer make medical claims for their products. A government ruling is expected by the end of July.
But things look a little different at EU level. The EU Commission is expected to undertake a review of its pharmaceutical law in the near future and homeopathy lobbyists in Brussels are taking the opportunity to push for an EU-wide public funding of the treatment, citing free market rules. This could set the stage for a potential clash with member states, such as Sweden and potentially the UK, which have legislation banning the provision of homeopathy by the public health service.
