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Tuesday 9 February 2016

Medicine testing

Medicines are tested very carefully before they are allowed on to the market. What happens when you don't, was cruelly revealed by the Thalidomide disaster.

Homeopathic medicines should also be thoroughly tested, and not allowed on sale until the standard tests (in petri dishes, on tissue, on mice, on animals and finally on humans, all double blind).

By the way, "double blind" means that you test the proposed medicine alongside a placebo - in the case of homeopathic medicine, that could be pure water. The patient doesn't know whether they are getting the medicine or the placebo, and neither does the person administering the medicine.

If homeopathic doctors believe that their medicines are effective, then they should be tested for effectiveness and side effects, just like any other medicine, and only allowed on the market if A) they don't give bad side effects and B) they perform better than placebo.

All medicines have to pass this test. Why should homeopathic medicines be exempt?

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