November 23, 2006 – Quebec homeopaths demand that the government “regulate the practice of alternative medicine to put an end to the charlatanism of some”.
This request, formulated by the Professional Syndicate of Homeopaths of Quebec (SPHQ), arises following a TV report showing the questionable practices in which so-called naturopaths and homeopaths in Quebec are engaged.
“Pointing fingers at suspected charlatans cannot be enough. We would like to see a solution develop to the root causes of the problem, ”writes SPHQ president Martine Jourde in an editorial published on the site1 of the body.
Better protect the public
The SPHQ is requesting a meeting with the Minister of Health and Social Services, Philippe Couillard. He would like the latter to set up a committee to assess the relevance of supervising the practice of different alternative therapies, including homeopathy.
“You have to take a look at the approaches that are not regulated,” says Martine Jourde. The protection of the public and their right of access to competent homeopaths are at stake. “
The SPHQ says it has tried, in vain, to make the issue of the supervision of their profession a government priority over the past 15 years. In 1993, Quebec homeopaths would have even asked the Office des professions du Quebec to be supervised by a professional corporation. Their request went unheeded.
“We were unable to demonstrate that the practice of homeopathy could be dangerous for the public, if it was not done in the rules of the art”, explains Martine Jourde, according to whom the recent TV report shows precisely that dangerous situations can arise.
In Minister Couillard’s office, we were open to holding a meeting, but we said we were waiting for an official request to this effect from the SPHQ.
A lack of training to fill
In addition to having to respect the statutes and regulations of the union and its code of ethics, the 300 members of the SPHQ must have completed a training program in accordance with the standards of the International Council for Classical Homeopathy (ICCH)2. This program, which provides for 1,500 hours of classes over four years, is currently offered in three private schools in Quebec.
“But we have to go further than this program, which is the only one in Canada to have been approved by the ICCH”, specifies Martine Jourde, who recognizes the flagrant lack of training.
This is why the SPHQ has taken steps with the University of Quebec network. “If all goes well, we are considering the possibility that a course program leading to a professional master’s degree will be offered in the fall of 2008,” concludes Martine Jourde.
Martin LaSalle – PasseportSanté.net
1. On this subject, see the SPHQ website at www.sphq.org [consulté le 20 novembre 2006].
2. The ICCH being in restructuring, it is the European Council for Classical Homeopathy which assumes the interim at the international level. You can visit his site at www.homeopathy-ecch.org [consulté le 22 novembre 2006].
