As a healthcare professional, you’ve probably come across homeopathic medicine. You may even have patients that swear by it. However, these holistic “miracle cures” are falling under the scrutiny of the FDA. These homeopathic medicine issues are under fire, and the Food and Drug Administrations vows to crack down on them. The Food and Drug Administration on Monday issued a new proposal for regulating homeopathic medicines that have long been on the fringe of mainstream medicine. The agency plans to target products that pose the biggest safety risks. This includes those marketed for children or for serious diseases. Homeopathy, or homeopathic medicine, is a medical philosophy and practice based on the idea that the body has the ability to heal itself.
Essentially, it is believed that you can target the whole body instead of the ailment. By providing the body with correct vitamins and supplements, the body supposedly can heal itself. Long regarded by scientists as a form of modern-day snake oil, homeopathic products are treated as drugs under the law, but not supported by modern science. Most remedies contain heavily diluted drugs, vitamins, and minerals. Initially, these remedies weren’t an issue. However, as the market began to expand, more and more consumers were ditching tried and true medicines for the homeopathic options, often leading to illness and in extreme cases, death. We’re sure you’re aware of those who use homeopathic medicine and the consequences. It’s time to look at the homeopathic medicine issues.
Homeopathic Medicine Issues
Saturated Market
One of the biggest homeopathic medicine issues is the saturated market. This $3 billion dollar industry has become quite lucrative over the years. This means that plenty of companies are trying to get a piece of the pie by unveiling their own line of homeopathic medicine. Not only does this saturate the market, but it also puts physicians in a tough situation. Since many physicians view these homeopathic products as replacements for prescription medication, it leaves healthcare professionals trying to pitch an albeit expensive, but reliable alternative. With so many options, the real medicines often go unused.
Under-Regulated
Another one of the homeopathic medicine issues is that they often are not regulated at all. Homeopathic products are similar to dietary supplements in that the FDA does not review their safety or effectiveness before they are sold. But unlike supplements, homeopathic medicines can state that they are intended for specific medical symptoms and conditions, similar to drugs. The problem here is that there’s not much evidence to back up the claims these supplements make.
The FDA said it would focus its enforcement efforts on products with reported safety concerns and those with possibly harmful ingredients. This includes those taken by vulnerable populations, those aimed at helping people with serious conditions, and those that fail to meet quality and purity standards. Currently, there are numerous products available over the counter that have had serious health issues linked to them. A handful of products in recent years have been subject to major safety problems, usually involving potentially toxic ingredients.
Serious Ailments
The FDA has issued warnings about certain homeopathic drugs in recent years. They’ve warned about intranasal products that contain zinc and could cause people to lose some sense of smell, as well as homeopathic asthma products that haven’t shown to be effective. FDA also has warned against the homeopathic nux vomica. This has a highly toxic poison in it often used to kill mice and rats, called strychnine.
Another example, last year the FDA warned consumers about the use of Hyland’s Homeopathic teething tablets. Infants who took the supplement were subjected to seizures in many cases. FDA testing later confirmed the products contained high levels of belladonna, also called nightshade, a poisonous herb that has long been used at low dosages in homeopathic medicine. The products were recalled in April.
As a physician, make sure to keep an eye out for these homeopathic medicine issues. As always, try to push them towards FDA-approved prescribed medications. If you have an opinion on these homeopathic medication issues, comment below!
