Australian GPs should not prescribe homeopathic remedies and pharmacists should strip these products from their shelves, an official body for Australian GPs has warned.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ (RACGP) President, Dr Frank R Jones said there was “robust evidence” proving the homeopathic remedies had no effect on patients beyond a placebo.
Dr Jones also urged pharmacists to strip their shelves of homeopathic products and warned citizens using alternative health treatment as a replacement for conventional vaccination they are endangering more than themselves.
“It is irresponsible to claim that homeopathic vaccines are a proven alternative to conventional vaccination. The reality is that these alternatives do not prevent diseases or increase protective antibodies and there is no plausible biological mechanism by which these alternatives could prevent infection,” said the RACGP President.
“Individuals and the community are exposed to preventable diseases when homeopathic vaccines are used as an alternative to conventional immunisation.”
The statement comes after the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) conducted research into the effectiveness of homeopathic treatments earlier this year with results showing there were no health benefits above the effect of a placebo.
The RACGP’s statement also follows controversies amongst the health industry, with some wellness bloggers claiming to treat their cancer diagnosis with alternative health.
Wellness Warrier Jess Ainscough passed away earlier this year after rejecting conventional treatment in favour of alternative health therapy as she battled an extremely rare cancer, epithelioid sarcoma, for seven years.
Belle Gibson has also made headlines for months after building a business off the back of her personal story – using alternative health therapies and diet to fight terminal cancer.
In March, newspapers revealed Gibson failed to donate funds she’d promised to various charities – despite her book, The Whole Pantry, being published and the app picked as a front runner for the Apple watch – which raised questions over the validity of her cancer diagnosis.
Gibson exclusively told The Weekly her cancer diagnosis ended up being false, after she sought conventional medical treatment in 2014.
