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Millions of us turn to homeopathic medicines to ease ailments and prevent colds, but who is looking at the safety of what’s put on the shelves? So far ,no one!
That’s why the FDA is beginning hearings to decide whether they should have oversight on these drugs, the way they already do with over the counter medicines.
Currently, no one needs to prove homeopathic meds work at all before being sold; nor do they have to prove their safety! This is in contrast to other OTC meds that do have to prove safety and efficacy before being sold to us.
So the dosage and the possible interactions with other medicines we may be taking is completely unknown. Possibly the biggest concern is side effects being completely unresearched before hand, making PEOPLE the guinea pigs. A good example of this is in 2009 when certain Zicam versions were pulled after many people reported loss of smell, some of them permanently.
This is a great thing – more information is better!!! I hope we see more oversight into these medicines so that people who choose to take them can have some reassurance that there is quality and consistency. I have many patients who swear by homeopathic medicines, and while I don’t prescribe them I do not dissuade people from them either.
I know my patients are smart and have done research into certain homeopathic remedies, and if they believe in it I will not be able to dissuade them. My main concern is that I can’t tell them if they are safe in conjunction with their other medications or if they will cause more harm than good!
Stay tuned to see if these FDA hearings produce the oversight we need to keep us safe!
http://www.bloomberg.com/…/the-fda-might-finally-crack-down…
