Homeopathy has not ceased to be talked about in recent months. Between the gallery signed by 124 health professionals who qualified it as an “esoteric discipline” and Agnès Buzyn, Minister of Health who would like to see his reimbursement conditioned by the evaluation of its effectiveness, this practice, considered as an “alternative medicine”, is debated. The National Council of the Order of Physicians has decided to publish an update concerning the ethical framework surrounding this discipline.
“An adjuvant or complementary prescription”
“The media use of the terms” alternative and complementary medicine “, particularly concerning homeopathy, maintains an ambiguity which is a source of confusion and disputes of interpretation”, considers the disciplinary authority. In order to set things straight, the Order of Physicians reminds us that “any doctor must practice medicine in accordance with the data acquired from science, both in the development of the diagnosis and in the proposal for a treatment”. Homeopathy cannot therefore be the first remedy proposed by a doctor, but can constitute an “adjuvant or complementary prescription. […] after having delivered fair, clear and appropriate information to the patient “.
The National Council also recalls that the public health code “prohibits presenting as beneficial, and without danger, care or unproven therapies”. Namely that France is the country of the world number one for homeopathic preparations and that any general practitioner can prescribe it. However, the profession of ” homeopathic doctor “, numbering 5,000 in France, is not recognized by the Order.
Read also :
Child dies from otitis treated with homeopathy
Managing burn-out thanks to alternative medicine