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UK May Blacklist Homeopathy (bbc.co.uk)
New submitter Maritz writes: Vindication may be on the horizon for people who defer to reality in matters of health — UK ministers are considering whether homeopathy should be put on a blacklist of treatments GPs in England are banned from prescribing, the BBC has learned. The controversial practice is based on the principle that "like cures like," but critics say patients are being given useless sugar pills. The Faculty of Homeopathy said patients supported the therapy. A consultation is expected to take place in 2016. The total NHS bill for homeopathy, including homeopathic hospitals and GP prescriptions, is thought to be about £4m.
This is likely why
My best pal and matey Mike Marshall, from the Good Thinking Society, was on BBC Breakfast news this morning along with homeopath-in-chief Peter Fisher.
The clip is not available at the BBC but it is on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
Sean Ellis
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This is likely why
That may explain the UK, although honestly I doubt Charles has that much influence. But it doesn't explain the US or Canada, or anywhere else this utter bullshit gets passed off as "medicine". Some of these crap treatments are even covered under my job's health coverage. It's crazy and a waste of money, or more specifically premiums I pay.
The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
Scientific studies have shown that placebos are more effective when they cost the patient more money. Seriously.
They don't push for "things better than a placebo". They push for things better than "best possible current treatment".
Read an actual trial report sometime.
A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
Vaccines contain biologically active substances in specific, measurable quantities that cause a measurable biologic effect.
Homeopathic preparations contain no biologically active substances in any measurable quantities and cause no measurable biologic effect.
To expand a little bit, a vaccine contains a substance, often a specific protein, a viral capsid, or k illed/attenuated bacteria, which the human body recognizes as a pathogen. The immune system then mounts a response by creating antibodies and memory immune cells, which primes the system to appropriately and effectively mount a rapid immune response to eliminate the pathogen when it comes for real.
We can observe and measure the effects of a vaccine in the body. We can, and do, test for antibody production. I had some titers last year to verify that I had antibodies for measles, mumps, varicella, tetanus, etc. I didn't have any antibodies to mumps, so I had to get another MMR vaccine, and afterwards I had the antibodies. I was not immune to mumps, then I got a vaccine and now I am.
By contrast, homeopathic preparations contain literally no substances other than the dilutant (typically sugar, water, or alcohol). Homeopathic preparers take nonstandardized substances, such as a plant extract containing unknown and undstandardized quantities of who knows what, and serially dilutes them in water etc. After 10-100 dilutions, the final preparation typically contains none of the original substance at all.
Homeopathic preparations have no known or even theoretical mechanism of possible action. Indeed, the entire idea of homeopathy is directly contradictory to everything we know about biology, pharmacology, and physics.
Note that this is in contrast to herbal or natural remedies, which, while unstandardized and often not thoroughly tested, are biologically plausible.