FDA May Require Stricter Homeopathic Medicine Guidelines

About one third of Americans use alternative medicines such as homeopathic remedies, according to estimates.

Health-conscious consumers are also likely to purchase homeopathic medicine and dietary supplements, seeking a natural way to ease or cure physical ailments.

However, according to some reports, the dietary supplement and homeopathic product industry have capitalized on this trend, and as a result, the market has been flooded with fraudulent products that scam consumers into buying ineffective natural health products.

Background on FDA Homeopathic Medicine Hearing

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that the homeopathic and dietary supplement industry is growing explosively and is currently sells about $2.9 billion a year. However, unlike over-the-counter and prescription drugs, homeopathic medicines and natural remedies do not undergo the same process of scrutiny and evaluation before being released into the consumer market.

This may change in the future, as some popular homeopathic remedies like Coldese, Zicam, and others have come under fire by experts, who have given their testimony about these dietary and homeopathic supplements during an April FDA hearing.

According to CNN, the FDA hosted a two-day “listening session,” which allowed experts and public individuals to advise the agency on how to regulate homeopathic medicines and dietary supplement products.

A recent report analyzing the hundreds of published studies curated by Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council found that homeopathic medicinal products were no more effective than placebos.

Furthermore, the Australian council states that there is no existing scientific evidence to support the claims that homeopathic medicine works. Despite the lack of scientific support, the homeopathic medicine and dietary supplement businesses represent multibillion dollar industries.

The Problems with Homeopathy and Dietary Supplements

Mark Land, a member of the American Association of Homeopathic Pharmacists, argues that the current FDA system for the evaluation and approval of homeopathic remedies and dietary supplements is sound.

Land further claims that the homeopathic medicine products currently available on the market are made from high quality material and have sufficient labeling standards.

However, Dr. Adriane Fugh-Berman testified before the FDA that the general public is not aware of what homeopathy is, and it is likely that most consumers “may assume that these products are dietary supplements or are conventional drugs,” because they are regularly sold on the same shelves as pharmaceutical drugs.

This practice of selling homeopathic medicine and dietary supplements side-by-side with traditional drug products is “innately misleading,” according to Fugh-Berman.

As previously stated, another form of deception may be at work within the homeopathic medicine industry, since many of these of products allegedly purport to ease illnesses and health issues when they in fact do not have any evidence to support these marketing claims.

Furthermore, the FDA found nearly 300 fraudulent products that were deceptively labeled or contained hidden ingredients. As a result, the FDA held the April “listening sessions” in order to determine if stricter guidelines for homeopathic remedies and dietary supplements are needed to regulate these industries.

Join a Free Homeopathy or Dietary Supplement Fraud Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you purchased a homeopathic or dietary supplement product that failed to perform as advertised, chances are you’ve been the victim of homeopathy or dietary supplement fraud. You may have a claim to seek compensation through a consumer protection class action lawsuit.

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