March 25, 1998 – In a judgment handed down on March 9, Judge André Forget of the Quebec Court of Appeal upheld the decision of two lower courts confirming that only physicians are legally authorized to practice homeopathy in Quebec.
The appeal contesting the previous judgments was lodged by the Professional Union of Homeopaths of Quebec (SPHQ), which brings together more than 350 non-medical homeopaths, and who represented a homeopath prosecuted for illegal practice of medicine. The Court dismissed the appeal on the grounds that the constitutional right of citizens to choose the therapy of their choice is not violated because homeopathic treatments and medicines are accessible.
The problem is that Quebec physicians do not receive any medical training in homeopathy and that the Collège des médecins du Québec, the corporation regulating good medical practice, prohibits its members from prescribing homeopathic treatment, even if the patient requests it. , unless all recognized treatments have failed. The College considers that homeopathy is not one of the treatments recognized by scientific medical practice. In fact, the 200 or so Quebec physicians practicing homeopathy (out of a total workforce of over 15,000) complain of being harassed by their corporation and live in constant fear of being brought before their disciplinary committee.
For their part, the members of the Professional Syndicate of Homeopaths of Quebec are required to undergo 1,500 hours of training, of which 500 are devoted to basic medical knowledge and 1,000 to homeopathy and the clinic. Most non-medical homeopaths therefore have a higher homeopathic training than that of medical homeopaths.
The ruling places the Collège des médecins du Québec in the very uncomfortable position of allowing its members to practice homeopathy even if the corporation does not recognize its scientific nature. As for non-medical homeopaths, they have 60 days to decide whether to bring the judgment before the Supreme Court, the highest Canadian court.
HealthPassport.net
