British Select Committee Delivers Verdict on Homeopathy

Posted By elissa on Feb 25, 2010 | 1 comment

And it’s a definite thumbs down. According to the Guardian:

Today the Science and Technology Select Committee delivered its verdict on homeopathy and it was devastating. The committee has called for the complete withdrawal of NHS funding and official licensing of homeopathy.

This should come as no surprise to anyone who witnessed the almost farcical nature of the proceedings, with the elite of homeopathy mocked by their own testimony.

…Even the claims that more research is needed have been rebutted. Plenty of evidence has accumulated regarding the effectiveness of homeopathy, and a verdict has been reached. It is useless. As the report states: “It is … unethical to enter patients into trials to answer questions that have been settled already.”

Ouchie!

A summary of the report is here.  The Guardian article didn’t exaggerate about the Committee’s attitude.

In a report published today, the Science and Technology Committee concludes that the NHS should cease funding homeopathy. It also concludes that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) should not allow homeopathic product labels to make medical claims without evidence of efficacy. As they are not medicines, homeopathic products should no longer be licensed by the MHRA.

…The Committee concurred with the Government that the evidence base shows that homeopathy is not efficacious (that is, it does not work beyond the placebo effect) and that explanations for why homeopathy would work are scientifically implausible.

The full report is also here. It’s quite thorough… and damning. 

(h/t Respectful Insolence)