Evolving problems for natural medicines within the European Community - and the biocentric practitioners who use them

Abstract: European harmonisation efforts lead to 'directives for general legislative changes, about which confusion often exists. This is partly so because EC member states occasionally obstruct that process of change. Because UK civil servants in Brussels seem to fail to report back to British interest groups and politicians, general ignorance about developments in the European Commission is widespread in the UK. By contrast, some of those who lobby in Brussels and Strasbourg for their special concerns appear to be rewarded for their efforts. The present stage of development, in what is still a very fluid Situation appears to be:1. The criteria for clinical trials have not been established yet, though it seems that there is to be some flexibility to accommodate the biocentric medical paradigm.2. There is inconsistency in the draft regulations surrounding injectables.3. Low potency and unpotentised 'simplexes for self- medication are now a part of the cultural heritage of Europe and might be proscribed by the bureaucracy at its peril.4. The future practice of homoeopathy in the classical sense seems to be quite safe and will not be tampered with.5. Complex remedies with components of potency levels below 6D seem destined to disappear.6. Single homoeopathic prescriptions in low potencies will remain available to all practitioners.7. Oral and external complex remedies with all components above the 6D potency limit will be classified as 'specifics' that have to undergo clinical trials if they are to be sold 'OTC' (over the counter) or on a 'pharmacist's prescription', but would be offered a simplified registration procedure if sales are restricted to 'only on practitioner's prescription'.8. The UK Government evidently officially recognises the principle of plurality of choice in medicine and in therapeutics, but in other countries this is much more fully developed. 9. Changing all potencies upward beyond the 6D limit in 'complexes' will mean, for the practitioners who use these, getting used to completely changed responses in patients. 10. Registration in two EC countries will probably mean an automatic pan-EC registrationfor a product.11. The UK Government will possibly soon want to insist on properly defined professional categories of non-orthodox practitioners with adequate academic grounding, to distinguish them from lay persons, not least because the homoeopathic pharmacists may soon need to have a firm basis for such a distinction.12. There are several unresolved issues that require attention on an international level without delay.

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