Ministers in the UK are now considering banning homeopathy treatments after recent pressure from the “Good Thinking Society.” The Good Thinking Society is a nonprofit organization promoting scientific skepticism. They recently have made a case against homeopathy, saying that coverage of these treatments is a waste of crucial health resources. They have created a following and have threatened to take their case to court, after campaigning to add homeopathy to the National Health Service (NHS) blacklist. The British Medical Association and the UK Chief Scientific Advisor have also sided with their views, that homeopathic remedies provide no benefit, and that money spent on these treatments should be spent on other resources.
In general, drugs can be put on the NHS blacklist if they are proved to not be beneficial, or, if cheaper and equivalent alternatives become available.
This review of homeopathic treatments is set to occur in the upcoming year. There is a clear argument between the importance of patient choice and evidenced based medicine. If homeopathic treatments are placed on the NHS blacklist, they will still be accessible to be purchased privately, however some argue that the focus should be on more expensive pharmaceuticals as a way to save money.
