FDA to tighten guidelines on homeopathic medicines
When it comes to the field of homeopathic medicine, saying the wrong thing to the wrong person can result in them cornering you and insisting that you listen to them as they offer to you, their 30 minute story about how rubbing a rare leaf from an even rarer type of tree, that only grows in South America was the magic cure for their great grandma’s big toe fungus.
Homeopathic medicine, and the people who believe in it, have both been around for years, and honestly if the practice was not fruitful then would we really still be living in a world where many people sware by it?
So what exactly is the meaning of homeopathic medicine?
Homeopathic medicine is the use of trace amounts of substances that can actually cause a person harm, to treat other medical conditions.
Critics have, for a long time been 100 percent against the use of homeopathic medicines, stating that there is zero scientific proof behind many claims that are made and in some cases, these “medicines” can actually do more harm than good.
The Food and Drug Administration, (FDA) has just released new guidelines aimed at cracking down on the field of homeopathic medicines, which they would only feel the need to do, if they came to the conclusion that the field was doing more harm than good when it comes to the day to day lives of the ill across America.
Up until now, the field of homeopathic medicine has been given a bit of a free ride when it comes to regulators, but not anymore as according to a statement released by the FDA, they are concerned that people maybe taking medicine for conditions that “said” medicine” is doing nothing to protect them against.
As it happens, homeopathic medicine is subject to the exact same regulation oversight as is prescription medicine, but as the FDA says themselves in their statement, they have not been as prudent when it comes to making sure that homeopathic medicines are legit, a fact that should not go over well with Americans.
FDA taking homeopathic medicines seriously
The FDA states that the sharp increase in homeopathic products coming on the market, along with the increase of reports of these medicines harming people lead to their decision to finally take this industry more seriously.
“In recent years, we’ve seen a large uptick in products labeled as homeopathic that are being marketed for a wide array of diseases and conditions, from the common cold to cancer,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said during a news conference.
“In many cases, people may be placing their trust and money in therapies that may bring little to no benefit in combating these serious ailments, or worse,
may cause significant or even irreparable harm,” he added.
This is most certainly the truth as there have been cases where the FDA have actually stepped in and ordered certain “homeopathic” products off the market.
Back in 2009, they ordered Zicam to stop marketing three products that contained zinc gluconate after consumers reported losing their sense of smell.
Back in 2016, the FDA ordered Hyland’s Homeopathic to stop selling their “homeopathic”teething tablets after they were linked to seizures and even death in babies.
Many feel that if the FDA had have done their job in the first place and took a proper look at the teething tablets, that actually were found to contain belladonna, a poisonous urb, lives could have been saved.
FDA to focus on homeopathic medicine aimed at treating serious conditions
The FDA states that they will be focusing their big guns on the types of homeopathic medicine that can do the most harm to consumers.
Homeopathic medicines that: contain potentially harmful ingredients, are administered not via orally or topically, do not meet standards of quality and are aimed at the treatment of life threatening conditions will be the ones most scrutinized by the FDA.
The “FDA does not intend to take action against all homeopathic products that have not been FDA approved, nor are we aiming to remove all homeopathic products from the market,” said Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
“We believe we’re at an appropriate juncture to adapt our regulation of homeopathic drugs to reflect the current complexity of the market.,” Gottlieb added.
“We respect that some individuals want to use alternative treatments, but the FDA has a responsibility to protect the public from products that may not deliver any benefit and have the potential to cause harm.”
When it comes to consumer advocacy, the general view is that the FDA is doing the correct thing in going after the types of homeopathic medicine that can really do more harm than good.
“I think the rules do a good job of going after the things that are most problematic,” said Dr. Adriane Fugh-Berman, an associate professor at Georgetown University Medical Center.
The FDA will take comments and suggestions on its proposed plan to put homeopathic medicines on a tighter leash for the next 90 days before they begin to finalize just how they plan to go about doing this.
