Homeopathy is fairly common in some countries while being uncommon in others. In some countries, there are no specific legal regulations concerning the use of homeopathy, while in others, licenses or degrees in conventional medicine from accredited universities are required.
Homeopathic preparations are not effective for treating any condition. Scientists and evidence based medical practitioners consider homeopathy a sham or a pseudoscience, and the mainstream medical community regards it as quackery.
Europe Regulations vary in Europe depending on the country. In Austria and Germany, no specific regulations exist, while France and Denmark mandate licenses to diagnose any illness or dispense of any product whose purpose is to treat any illness. Some homeopathic treatment is covered by the national insurance of several European countries, including Denmark, some parts of the United Kingdom, and Luxembourg. In other countries, such as Belgium, France, and the Czech Republic, homeopathy is not covered. In 2004, Germany, which formerly offered homeopathy under its public health insurance scheme withdrew this privilege, with a few exceptions. In June 2005, the Swiss Government, after a five-year trial, withdrew insurance coverage for homeopathy and four other alternative treatments, stating that they did not meet efficacy and cost-effectiveness criteria. However, following the result of a referendum in 2009 the five therapies were reinstated for a further six-year trial period from 2012.
European Union In 1992, the Council of the European Communities stated in the preamble to its directive that homeopathy was officially recognized in certain member states but only tolerated in others. In any case it was prescribed and used in all member states. To harmonize the market of homeopathic products, the council, by Directive 92/73/EEC directed the member states to implement certain changes in their national legislation. Directive 92/73/EEC was replaced by Directive 2001/83/EC on the Community code relating to medicinal products for human use.
Member states are required to ensure that homeopathic products (for oral or external use) can be registered without proof of therapeutic efficacy, provided that there is a sufficient degree of dilution to guarantee the safety of the product; in particular, the product may not contain either more than one part per 10,000 of the mother tincture or more than 1/100 of the smallest dose used in mainstream medicine, with regard to active principles whose presence in a medicinal product results in the obligation to submit a doctor's prescription. In other words, the dilution must be at least D4/4X/C2, and even higher in special cases. Other homeopathic products can still be registered under the normal rules, and products such as Arnica D1 are legally available.
The labels of homeopathic products registered without proof of efficacy must include the words "homeopathic medicinal product without approved therapeutic indications" as well as "a warning advising the user to consult a doctor if the symptoms persist during the use of the medicinal product".
Belgium
, the exercise of homeopathy in Belgium is reserved by law to only doctors, dentists and midwives, and should only be used for those indications for which the exercise is shown to be effective according to evidence-based medicine. The Belgian Council of Ministers agreed on 12 July 2013, with the draft royal decree as proposed by the Minister of Social Affairs and Public Health Laurette Onkelinx. The law follows the recommendations of the Belgian Health Care Knowledge Centre, who concluded on the basis of a systematic review of the scientific literature that there is no evidence that homeopathic treatments work better than a placebo. It advised against reimbursement by the compulsory health insurance and advised that only doctors should be allowed to practice homeopathy.
France Homeopathy is the most popular form of alternative medicine in France. Its use rose from 16% of the population in 1982 to 29% in 1987 and 36% in 1992. In a 2018 survey, 77% of French answered to have used homeopathic remedies at least once, 58% have used them "several times", and more than 40% have used homeopathy for over 10 years. Nevertheless, in July 2019 the French ministry of health declared homeopathic medicines would no longer be reimbursed starting in 2021 as they are deemed to "not provide sufficient public health benefits".
Germany In Germany, the legislation for homeopathic remedies follows European Union (EU) regulations. Homeopathic remedies are subject to registration, but they need not be tested. However, homeopathic remedies that are less diluted than D4, or for which a danger of adverse effects exists, cannot be registered under this rule.§38 and § 39 of the German Arzneimittelgesetz (pharmaceuticals law). They can be sold over-the-counter in pharmacies. Germany is the only member state of the EU in which homeopathic remedies based on minerals or plants, and produced only in very low quantities, do not need to be registered. In other member states only remedies individually prepared in a pharmacy are exempt. including: [links are broken]
In 2017, homeopathic remedies accounted for 2.74% of sold units in the pharmaceutical sector (0.90% of business volume); 0.14% of prescriptions covered by public health insurance were for homeopathic remedies. A 2008 telephone survey of German adults found that 11.5% had used homeopathy. Homeopathy accounts for 27.4% of patient contacts in the area of alternative medicine.
Italy A survey of more than 70,000 citizens showed that approximately 4.7 million people in Italy (8.2% of the population) used homeopathy from 1997 to 1999, including being given to 7.7% children under 14 years. Homeopathy use rose from 2.5% in 1991 to 8.2% in 1999, but, despite the increase these numbers are still considered to represent comparatively light use compared to other countries.
Netherlands In 1991, 40% of general practitioners used homeopathy.
Romania Romania follows the general practices of EU regarding homeopathy. It is regulated by the National Agency of Drugs and Medical Devices (ANMDM) and is not permitted without a license. Most homeopathic drugs are sold over the counter. Approval of homeopathic drugs was simplified, considering there is no need for excessive testing for most of them.
Spain In 2018, the Collegiate Medical Organization of Spain published a report in which it rejected homeopathy and other non-scientific medical practices; this report changed the organization's previous position, dating from 2009, when it had approved the recognition of homeopathy as a "medical procedure". The change was prompted by the activity of the Association to Protect the Sick from Pseudoscientific Therapies, which, among other actions, has produced a European manifesto for the change of laws that protect the sale of homeopathy in Europe.
In 2020, a judge from Spain dismissed a lawsuit for slander that a group of homeopaths had filed against two critics of homeopathy (Fernando Cervera and Aurelio Duque). The sentence, which cited the Royal National Academy of Pharmacy, stated "no solo no funcionaba, sino que la homeopatía puede poner en riesgo la salud" ("it is not only ineffective, homeopathy can put [a person's] health at risk"). It was the first time that a Spanish court ruled against homeopathy.
In 2026, the Spanish ministry of Health ruled that homepathy was a "placebo" and that it could pose "a risk to health", without any evidence supporting its effects.
Sweden In September 2011, after the National Board of Health and Welfare put a doctor on probation for recommending homeopathy to a patient, Sweden's Supreme Administrative Court ruled that "doctors can recommend homeopathy". In October 2013 a legal review conducted by the National Board of Health and Welfare on behalf of the government concluded that the use of homeopathy by licensed medical professionals is limited to patient-initiated last-resort treatments.
Switzerland State insurance funding of homeopathy and four other alternative therapies had been withdrawn after a review in 2005, and a 2009 referendum vote called for state backed health insurance to once more pay for these therapies. In 2012 the government reinstated them for a trial period until 2017, pending an independent investigation of the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the therapies.
The rules for the registration of homeopathic remedies without a concrete field of application are more liberal in Switzerland than they are in member countries of the EU. For homeopathic medicines based on well-known low-risk substances, Swissmedic, the regulatory authority, offers inexpensive registration by means of a simplified electronic registration procedure.Swissmedic: Rules for homeopathic medicines. German version, French version.
United Kingdom
While the practice of homeopathy in the United Kingdom (UK) is not regulated by law, homeopathic products sold as remedies or medicines are regulated by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
In the United Kingdom, homeopathy in the public health sector has steadily declined over recent years. The number of National Health Service (NHS) prescriptions for homeopathic remedies dropped by over 85% between 2000 and 2010 (from 134,000 to 16,359), with homeopathy accounting for only 0.001% of the total 2010 prescribing budget. The Tunbridge Wells Homeopathic Hospital, formerly one of four homeopathic hospitals operated by the NHS, was closed in 2009 following a drop in referrals and a review by the West Kent Primary Care Trust of funding of homeopathy. In September 2010, one of the three remaining NHS-funded homeopathic hospitals, the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital, was renamed as the Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine to more accurately reflect the nature of its work. A fifth homeopathic hospital run by the NHS, the Hahnemann Hospital in Liverpool, had been closed in 1976.
In 1991 up to 37% of general practitioners (GPs) used homeopathy, but a review carried out by West Kent NHS Primary Care Trust in 2007 found that less than 1% of registered patients were referred for homeopathic treatment, and that this was almost always at the patient's request rather than as the result of a clinical decision. In 2011 the British Homeopathic Association said that 400 GPs used homeopathy in their everyday practice. The British Homeopathic Dental Association (BHDA) claimed to have 69 dentists, while the British Association of Homeopathic Veterinary Surgeons had 36 vets listed as members. There are over 41,000 GPs and around 24,000 registered veterinary surgeons in the UK, and almost 23,000 dentists doing NHS work in England.
In 2009 there were approximately 2,000 homeopaths, who are not GPs, registered with various organisations. A systematic review of surveys, published in April 2013, concluded that homeopathy is used by UK medical professionals to a minor degree, and that on average referral rates are low.
Around 2009, UK universities began to close or review their courses on homeopathy and alternative medicine, after accusations that they were teaching pseudoscience. These courses had been attracting bad publicity and criticism for the universities teaching them. In May 2010, the NHS announced that junior doctors' training would no longer include placements at the Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital. In March 2021 the last UK university validating a degree in homeopathy announced that it was ceasing to do so.