Update April 2010 Homeopathy a systematic review finds no evidence that homeopathy has effects beyond placebo. Dr. Steven Barnett's article, Homeopathy: The Ultimate Fake reviews the status of homeopathy in the United States. Homeopathy lists the critiques published of homeopathy in April, 2010. homeopathyThere's Nothing In It, the 10:23 campaign.
Is Homeopathy Pure, or Is Homeopathy Big Business?
Again and again as you read through homeopathic literature, you encounter a train of thought that runs something like this:
- Conventional Western Medicine (allopathy) relies on drugs to treat people
- All allopaths do what the big drug companies tell them to do
- Big drug companies exist to increase their profits, not make people healthier
- Homeopathy is the opposite of allopathy and is only concerned with health
- Therefore homeopathy doesn't have anything to do with people making profits
But this essay will show you indeed how homeopathy is big business, and cynical exploits every avenue to maintain the fiction that it is non-business and "pure" in order to generate more profits.
Oh, you don't believe me about homeopathy's image? Read this:
[The AMA and FDA ] are functionally little more than extensions of the transnational medical-industrial complex, one of the most powerful industries in today's "globalized" world. The bottom line with these institutions -- always the most fundamental concern -- is that if there is no profit in a medical practice or product it is not pursued. And if there is a profit to be made, it must be increased, by whatever means one can get away with. This is "health care" for profit. This basis of "conventional" (ie.capitalist) medicine is, by definition, unconscionable: it has only to do with accounting. It is a poison in the heart of medicine that has far-reaching consequences.
There is an essentially progressive and non-capitalist alternative form of medicine that can yield effective and deep healing. It is the brilliant and healthy science of Homeopathy.
Medicine is not a Science. Depending upon what is quoted as a reference anywhere from 50% to 90% of all Allopathic [regular] medicine is useless, unproven or unsubstantiated. This is very funny, in a morbid sort of way, especially when the Allopaths demand that Alternative health practices must be proven without doubt before any doctor may invoke its use. The Allopaths know that almost nothing can be proven in the health biz (note that cigarette smoking still cannot be proven to cause cancer and that breast implants cannot be proven to cause immunosuppressant diseases).
Medicine is, pure and simple, a business. It is not a science by any stretch of the imagination. Any economist will tell you of the medical profession that it is very successful at keeping demand for service well in excess of supply of service.
The demand-side economics of the doctor biz is well argued in Bill Maclean's, The Rise & Follies, so I won't go into that too much here. Supply-side economics involves the creation of a shortage--in this case, a medical professional shortage. Just last year the C.M.A. voted to restrict the entry of doctors into Canada. New home-grown doctor supply rates are diminishing, not increasing as would be expected, in response to increased demand for professional services. Doctors are becoming more radically specialized making their services more difficult to establish and maintain even though basic health improvement factors are largely outside of the medical professional realm (i.e. better food, living conditions, human dignity, etc.
I repeat, again and again as you read through homeopathic literature, you encounter a train of thought that runs something like this:
- Conventional Western Medicine (allopathy) relies on drugs to treat people
- All allopaths do what the big drug companies tell them to do
- Big drug companies exist to increase their profits, not make people healthier
- Homeopathy is the opposite of allopathy and is only concerned with health
- Therefore homeopathy doesn't have anything to do with people making profits
Oops. Wrong. Homeopathy is big business, and it is big multinational business, for the manufacturers and marketers. It is a big profit source for retailers, too.
These Companies Make Money From Homeopathic Remedies
Some things to remember about the manufacturers and/or marketers of homeopathic "remedies" compared to manufacturers and/or marketers of conventional pharmacolgy:
- Homeopathic manufacturers don't have to prove that their product is safe--no expense for animal trials or follow-up
- Homeopathic manufacturers don't have to prove that their product is effective--no expense for large controlled double-blind studies, or follow-up of patients
- Homeopathic manufacturers have minimal expenses for precursors active ingredients [duck study]
Companies who are members of the American Association of Homeopathic Pharmacists include:
Bioforce, USA437 Route 295
Chatham, NY 12037
Bioforce is a Swiss company was founded in 1963 by Dr. Alfred Vogel to market the remedies he had been producing for his naturopathic practice. It is now a multinational, with 12 subsidiary and partner companies and over 600 employees worldwide.
Botanical Laboratories, Inc. (Natra-Bio)1441 West Smith Road
Ferndale, WA 98248
Botanical Laboratories, Inc. (BLI) is a fully operational pharmaceutical manufacturer of oral and topical dose forms of over-the-counter homeopathic, herbal and food supplement products, with 79 employees. BLI claims to have ongoing HMO and physician studies.
Boericke & Tafel
2381 Circadian Way
Santa Rosa, CA 95407
Boericke & Tafel started as an American homeopathic manufacturer and publisher in 1835. In 1987, B&T was acquired by a leading German pharmaceutical company, Dr. Willmar Schwabe, which has manufactured homeopathic and herbal medicines since 1866. Schwabe claims to have a $100 million Research and Development budget, and six research centers worldwide, and to have completed over 2,000 clinical studies in natural products.
B& T claims clinical proof of effectiveness for the following products: Florasone™ Cream for Eczema, Allergiemittel AllerAide™ for Allergies, and Alpha CF™ for Colds & Flu. They also boast that their packaging are industry leaders.
BOIRON Group
This is what Boiron Group has on their home page:
Our goal: for every physician in the world to integrate homeopathic medicines into their practice
World-wide sales, followed by US sales (in millions of euros)
2000=255,4.....15,9
2001=266,4.....15,5
2002=287,1.....15,5
1036 Country Club Drive
Moraga, CA 94556
BPR Health International was founded in 1994 specializing in the formulation and manufacture of liquid homeopathic products. They produce on contract for other labels, and as the own-label Liddell Laboratories brand. It is now a multi-national company with offices in California, New York, Hong Kong, China and Mexico.
Dolisos3014 Rigel Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89102
Dolisos America Inc. is the U.S. division of Dolisos Laboratoires, a French homeopathic manufacturing giant. Dolisos Laboratoires is a subsidiary of the Pierre Fabre Group, a French pharmaceutical conglomerate specializing in plant based medicines. Dolisos founded its Nevada plant in 1982. Most of the Dolisos homeopathic medications sold in the United States are manufactured on site. Brands/Trademarks Owned: Dolichild, Elusun, Eluslim, Eluhair, Dolicoccil, Dolivaxil, Dolimed, Dolicare, Energy Medicine. This site will give you more information on the Pierre Fabre Group
Heel / BHI, Inc.
11600 Cochiti SE
Albuquerque, NM 87123
Heel is a very aggressive marketer of homeopathic products. Steven Barrett, M.D., wrote an article, Heel-BHI: The World's Most Outrageous Homeopathic Marketer , which outlines Heel-BHI's continual flouting of FDA regulations. The following is Heel's own statements:[my emphasis added.
Heel Inc.'s innovative approach has led to many "firsts" in the homeopathic industry. For example, Heel Inc. was the first company to have a homeopathic product featured in the prescription volume of the Physician's Desk Reference, was the first homeopathic company to utilize a conventional pharmaceutical sales force to promote its products to alternative and conventional medical practitioners, and the first homeopathic company to be allowed to exhibit at the American Academy of Family Practice Scientific Assembly. Heel Inc. has also found innovative ways to become a player in the managed care arena. For example, large medical institutions like Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (California), Friendly Hills HMO (California), Lovelace HMO (New Mexico), and Harriman-Jones PPO (California) have at least one Heel Inc. product on their formularies.
Heel was founded by a conventionally-trained German physician, Hans-Heinrich Reckeweg, M.D. , who developed a homeopathic approach he called homotoxicology, i.e., the study of toxins to humans, including a novel approach to disease: "…expressions of the battle of the organism against toxins, in its attempt to counteract and expel them." Heel grew to become the world's leading producer and marketer of homeopathic combination products, with product distribution throughout the world. In 1979, noting the possibility for increased growth in the United States due to lax FDA regulations, Dr. Reckeweg relocated to New Mexico.
King Bio Pharmaceuticals, Inc.1264 New Leister Highway
Asheville, NC 28806
King Bio Pharmaceuticals (KBP) is a USA based manufacturing company, located in Asheville, NC. It is dedicated to the production of pure water based triple potency homeopathic formulations.
Dr. Steven Smith is a dermatologist, whose wife received a revelation in prayer that "bromide and nickel" would help her husband's psoriasis patients. The Israelis had been treating psoriasis with bromide-rich Dead Sea water, with promising results. Dr. Smith formed a company, Loma Lux, to begin FDA trials, but found that the cost was prohibitive. I went back to searching out how these low dose minerals, bromide and nickel in various combinations, could now be safe for humans. Through a friend, we discovered we had been looking for approval in the wrong arena! We had not discovered a toxic chemical drug that would be found someday in the Physician Desk Reference. Drugs listed there had all been FDA tested and approved - many having severe side effects. The friend encouraged me to check into homeopathic medicines as a source for approval. We discovered in August 1994 that these same minerals, bromide and nickel, that we had been studying to treat psoriasis, were already accepted by the FDA in the Homeopathic Pharmacopeia of the United States! Our wildest dream had come true!! In other words, Dr. Smith is not a homeopath. He and Loma Lux are exploiting the "homeopathic loophole" in FDA regulations, and so the company was able to bypass the efficacy testing required of other treatments because the main ingredients were already approved for homeopathic use. It would be nice to think that he's doing it out concern for his patients, but he's also turning a tidy profit.
5801 E. 41st Street, Suite. 200
Tulsa, OK 74135
The company philosophy is that (1) only nature can produce a remedy that is truly compatible with human physiology, and (2) that the sophistication of natural medicine exceeds that of modern pharmaceutical technology.
Newton Laboratories, Inc. 2360 Rockaway Industrial Blvd Conyers, GA< 30012Innovative manufacturing techniques, knows as 'Tru-Potency' manufacturing, utilized by Mediral set new standards of excellence for the industry, and prove that not all homeopathic products are the same. Hand succussion is just one of the many unique procedures used during the manufacturing process. Homeopathic medicine is susceptible to radiation and may be damaged by the electromagnetic fields generated by automated processing machines used by larger companies. Mediral believes that, even though hand processing is a costlier and more time consuming investment, a clearly superior product is worth it.
Newton Laboratories, Inc. was founded by a naturopath who claims to have "cured" himself of tuberculosis. He then emigrated to the United States, with its' much more lax regulation of homeopathic medicine, to expand homeopathic "treatment" to such questionable diagnoses as
Newton Labs is also a sponsor of that well-known critical thinker Jon Rappaport, who makes such cogent arguments as
Nova Homeopathic Therapeutics, Inc. 5600 McLeod NE, Ste. F Albuquerque, NM 87109Who would have thought then that men who called themselves scientists would some day recycle already existing disease and call it AIDS and say it was caused by a virus that was actually a chimera and no virus at all and that a man named George Bush would later come along and direct $15 billion for its containment on the condition that recipient nations allow something called genetically modified food---never tested for its deleterious health effects, spreading its inserted genes everywhere---to be imported in unlimited quantities?
Charles Bernaert was born in the Netherlands, and emigrated to the US in 1980, perhaps to take advantage of weak licencing laws in New Mexico, and weak controls on homeopathy from the FDA. Under his direction, Nova develops and manufactures liquid homeopathic complex remedies and provides support and education for the growth of homeopathy.
1-800-HOMEOPATHY P.O. Box 8080 Richford, VT 05476This company has been in the homeopathic business since 1853, first as Luyties Pharmacal Company, then Walker Laboratories, Inc. Then, to assure the clarity of our mail order mission, we started to call ourselves 1-800-Homeopathy in 1998. It is still a family business.
Similasan Corp. 108 North Ridge Street P.O. Box 7429 Breckenridge, CO 80424Our company has fostered the art and science of manufacturing homeopathic remedies and remained steadfast to homeopathic principles through the trials and hardships homeopathy has endured to reach today's level of acceptance and popularity.
Similasan Switzerland was incorporated in 1980 for manufacturing and distributing homeopathic medications, which had been formulated and dispensed over the years by Swiss druggist, Armin Spaeni. To date, its product line has grown to over one hundred different items, making Similasan the most sold OTC brand in Switzerland. In the U.S. Similasan offers a unique line of homeopathic medications.
Similasan is also a leader in marketing their products in an aggressive way. They have succeeded in placing homeopathic remedies in Efficient Promotional Planning Sessions (EPPS) conferences--category-specific conferences consist of one-on-one planning sessions scheduled between manufacturers and retailers to review new items, promotions, marketing initiatives and strategic direction. The EPPS category-specific conferences held throughout the year have brought efficiencies to business processes, as well as saved valuable time and money.
The manufacturers can have a 20 minute presentation, at $12,500, or a 40 minute presentation, for $25,000
ECRM Company Overview: ECRM is the industry leader in business planning, marketing and conference management. ECRM links manufacturers and retailers together at the EPPS conferences, and also provides a wealth of online software to streamline the sales and marketing supply chain. Focusing on technology as a key ingredient, manufacturers and retailers alike recognize the efficiencies of the EPPS Conferences and the technological expertise ECRM brings to their organizations.
This is ECRM's handout on Similisan
Wala Heilmittel GmbHBy targeting the most common problems of the eye, ear, nose and throat for the past ten years, Similasan is now emerging as one of the most reputable and unique brands of chemical free remedies in the USA.
With all-natural, homeopathic formulas in distinctive packages that people understand, Similasan is already helping thousands of health food stores nationwide realize the growth potential of the OTC/ eye care categories. Additionally, eye care professionals and other doctors in every state are distributing samples to their patients with chronic eye conditions. These patients flood Similasan headquarters with calls on a daily basis, wanting to know where they can buy the product at retail.
Monthly advertising campaigns in publications such as Prevention, Self, Psychology Today, Natural Health and several other national magazines continue to boost sales of Similasan’s products, as Americans increase their awareness of natural alternatives to conventional health care.
73085 Bad Boll/Eckwaelden, Germany
In the 1930s, Rudolf Hauschka, a follower of Steiner's doctrine of anthroposophy, developed a line of homeopathic remedies preserved in water rather than alcohol. WALA grows and harvests the plants used in the various product lines. Also, the succussion process is done by hand. Over 250 people are active in the parent company in Germany to manufacture and supply these hand-crafted products to over 30 countries around the world. Subsidiary/satellite production facilities are also located in Australia, Republic of South Africa, Italy and at the Raphael Pharmacy in Fair Oaks, California.
Washington Homeopathic Products33 Fairfax St.
Berkeley Springs, WV 25411
Washington Homeopathic Pharmacy (WHP) began in 1873 in Washington, DC. It was common in those days to have a homeopathic company in every city - essentially serving the needs of those in the area. Joe and Linda Lillard bought the pharmacy in 1991, and renamed it Washington Homeopathic Products. In 1993, with homeopathy back on the rise, the Lillards set up a branch in Berkeley Springs, WV
Weleda, Inc. 175 N. Route 9W Congers, NY 10920Founded in Switzerland in 1921 by a group of physicians working with Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), Weleda has become an internationally known brand. and one of the foremost natural medicines and personal care products. In selecting the name WELEDA, Rudolf Steiner has honored the ancient tradition of Celtic women healers.
Helping Retailers Make Money Through Homeopathy
One way to do this is for the homeopathic manufacturers to reach out to retailers. There are several ways to do this. One is to push product through marketing channels, as as we saw above with the Similasan example. Another is editorial and advertising content in specialty magazines, such as trade magazines servicing the places where OTC homeopathic remedies are sold, such as health food stores, and chain drug and grocery stores.
In the June 13, 2003, issue, Health Supplements Retailer published an article, "Homeopathy Is No Longer Just Little White Pills", by Robert Scott Bell, who is vice-president of a homeopathic manufacturer (Newton Laboratories) and a board member of the American Association of Homeopathic Pharmacists, a trade organization whose mission is to promote homeopathy in the United States.
The gist of the article is to remind health-food retailers that there are a wide array of homeopathic products available, from pills to sprays to products for pets; these products are in demand by consumers, and will improve the profitablity of a store.
The March, 2002 issue of Chain Drug Review, carried an article, "Homeopathic Remedies Need to be Displayed with other Products in Drug Stores, not in Separate Section", which featured tips from homeopathic manufacturers on increasing sales.
- Putting homeopathic items next to their regular products in the sets increases sales in both categories
- Homeopathic medications are reasonable alternatives to their conventional counterparts, so shouldn't be shelved separately
Persons quoted:
Jay Borneman, president of Hyland's Inc.
Susan Backer, director of marketing, Boericke & Tafel Inc.
The Big Lie At Work
The Chain Drug Review also shows the usefulness of the "big lie" technique.
March 4, 2002"New York -- Location is the key to the successful merchandising of homeopathic remedies in chain drug stores, according to the leading suppliers in the category. "The more savvy retailers slot homeopathic items next to their regular allopathic products in the sets and soon discover that they are garnering incremental sales," comments Jay Borneman, president of Hyland's Inc. Homeopathic medications are reasonable alternatives to their allopathic counterparts, he asserts, and need to be considered on the basis of the condition they treat. "For example, the main competition for our Hyland's teething tablets are other teething preparations -- not other homeopathic preparations," says Borneman.
Executives at other leading suppliers in the category, including Boericke & Tafel Inc.'s (B&T's) director of marketing, Susan Backer, concur. "It is wrong to make homeopathy a separate section, because that is not the way people shop," she notes. If they have a cold or flu, they will visit the cough/cold section." Retail pharmacies that lump homeopathic products in a "natural" section are missing out on substantial profits, according to Backer.
To counter that, buyers must not look at the homeopathic consumer as monolithic, Borneman says. "What we need to be talking to buyers about is which products can be integrated into specific O-T-C sections to boost the chances of their customers finding a truly useful product," he remarks.
A number of Hyland's products are among the leaders in their respective product segments. For example, Hyland's teething tablets is the No. 2 brand in unit sales, while Hyland's Leg Cramps with Quinine, a product that has proven effective in alleviating leg pain, tops the category with a 70% market share. Another popular homeopathic product in drug stores is B&T's Arniflora amica gel, a natural botanical remedy widely used to relieve pain, muscle ache and stiffness, bruising and swelling. In addition, the company recently launched Allergiemittel AllerAide, a natural homeopathic remedy for allergy relief.
The cough/cold/allergy category is a natural for homeopathic medications. One product designed to give fast multi-symptom relief for the common cold and influenza is BioRight International Inc.'s Arizona Sun natural cold medicine.
Parents are particularly interested in finding remedies to treat their children's ailments without creating other problems, and homeopathic remedies often provide a welcome answer, according to suppliers. For example, Hyland's earache tablets have been clinically shown to reduce earache symptoms in the first 48 hours of each episode, and they work without side effects. In addition, each package contains a reference booklet written by a physician and a pharmacist.
Young mothers and other consumers in chain drug outlets are different than shoppers in natural food stores, notes Dale Nepsa, Hyland's vice president. "The chain drug channel is basically a self-service environment," he observes, "and consumers are generally not as conversant in the category. What they seek is a product that will truly help their or their child's affliction, one that's not invasive and won't contraindicate with other medications."
Backer agrees. "We find the most effective way to reach people is not by getting into the cumbersome ins and outs of how homeopathy functions, but by conveying the message that it truly works -- that they are getting effective medications backed by science."
Suppliers in the category agree that chain drug stores have a built-in advantage in the homeopathy business because of the trade class' reputation as a health care provider as well as the presence and availability of knowledgeable pharmacists."
I think without good quality paramedics we will not be able to provide quality health care in our nations.
Posted by: Andrew Spark | Friday, February 10, 2006 at 03:39 AM
A very informative set of articles.
Would you be able to point me to other resources, either on-line or off-line, that take a hard, honest look at the topic of hemopatholgy? I have family members who could learn a lot from reading these.
Thanks,
Steven
Posted by: Steven | Wednesday, March 01, 2006 at 07:01 PM
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Posted by: High Blood Pressure | Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at 03:14 AM
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