Background of the King Report and the NHMRC Review
On 22 June 2017, a government report The King Review recommended that homeopathic products (eg hay fever drops, teething and colic formulas) should not be sold in Australian pharmacies. The report used a biased review conducted earlier by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) which falsely concluded homeopathic medicines are ineffective. If The King Review is approved, it could mean homeopathic medicines will be removed from pharmacies around Australia
The Pharmacy Remuneration & Regulation (King Review) Interim Report cites the NHMRC Homeopathy Review. The panel’s conclusions on the efficacy of homeopathy are based solely on the highly flawed NHMRC Homeopathy Review. A Complaint to the Commonwealth Ombudsman for maladministration and scientific misconduct was submitted in 2016. While this review is the subject of an Ombudsman complaint, it cannot be used to inform health policy.
Serious issues with the NHMRC Homeopathy Review include:
- The Chair of Council informed the public in a press release that “NHMRC does not support homeopathy” before any evidence was assessed.
- The NHMRC reported that it ‘rigorously assessed over 1800 papers’, but only 176 studies were actually assessed.
- NHMRC reported that it used ‘standardised, accepted methods’.
- In 2012, NHMRC sacked the principal author of NHMRC’s own guidelines on how to review health evidence, who conducted a high-quality first review.
- The research protocol for a second review was then created, resulting in 171 out of the 176 studies being dismissed outright from any consideration in the findings, leaving only 5 studies that were actually reviewed.
- Supporters of anti-homeopathy lobby groups were appointed to the working committee.
- NHMRC excluded any homeopathy research experts from the process, which is in breach of NHMRCs own mandatory standards.
- The CEO of the review committee slandered the sector as “snake oil merchants” demonstrating that bias was present at the highest level.
- International studies on homeopathy involving thousands of people, show positive health benefits and cost savings to healthcare systems. None of this evidence was used by NHMRC, nor mentioned in the King Interim Report.
- The King Report does not provide any evidence for its position that the ‘sale of homeopathic products creates risk of harm’.
- The positions of Australian pharmacy bodies are misleading since they are based on the flawed NHMRC Homeopathy Review.
- Basing options for the Australian public on the NHMRC Review is causing further unjust damage to the homeopathy profession.
Media PDFs
This is a downloadable PDF.
37 Facts & Statistics for Media
Including scientific studies; the application of Homeopathy in epidemics; the popularity of Homeopathy; it's cost effectiveness; Homeopathy is used by more than 200 million people around the world.
This is a downloadable PDF.
About the Film maker
Laurel Chiten has been making headlines for more than 20 years with provocative documentaries. Her fifth, major documentary is Just One Drop – a film that examines the hot health topic of homeopathy.
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The Moving Artwork
At the Australian Premiere of Just One Drop, Australian Actor Zoe Naylor will be wearing a statement outfit. The moving artwork created by Sherree Maniks for Zoe, is based on the ball gowns of the 19th Century.