Sense About Science Comment on the Regulations
(Statutory Instrument 2006 No 1952)
Tracey Brown, Director, Sense About Science (Sense About Science is a registered charity promoting good science and evidence for the public).
“We have a fantastic regime for licensing medicines in this country, highly attuned to assessing the nuances of scientific evidence for efficacy and safety. So it is incredibly frustrating that while the Government is agonising over what constitutes evidence-based policy in so many areas, the MHRA-its leading light in the development of evidence-based medicine, on whom we all rely each time we get a prescription-is charged with implementing a new licensing regime that recognises homeopathic ‘provings’ as legitimate data. Provings are observations that a substance induces the same symptoms as a disease, like watering eyes or headaches. We might as well test medicines by dropping them in a muddy puddle to see if they float.
The exemption of homeopathic products from provision of evidence of their efficacy is grossly irresponsible. It is further evidence of the slide of the UK into a state of sloppy-minded political correctness. We are now part of the post-scientific society and ripe for historical oblivion.”
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Last updated: November 15 2006
