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Current evidence showing that homeopathic medicines are ineffective treatments is not
biased against homeopathy, as some homeopaths have argued, according to a review
published in the Medical Journal of Australia.

Prof Edzard Ernst, Director of Complementary Medicine at the University of Exeter, UK,
writes that about 150 controlled clinical trials have been published on homeopathy – a
therapeutic method that often uses highly diluted preparations of substances that, when
administered to healthy people, create the same effects as the disorder in the unwell patient.

Prof Ernst said in situations where the results of these trials were neither all negative nor all
positive, some commentators resorted to “cherry picking” those findings that fit their own
preconceptions.

“The problem of selective citation is most effectively overcome by evaluating all reliable
evidence, an aim best met by systematic reviews,” Prof Ernst said.

He searched the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews – generally considered to be the
most reliable source of evidence – in January this year for reviews that had the term
“homeopathy” in their title, abstract or keywords. Of the six articles that met the inclusion
criteria, none provided compelling evidence for the effectiveness of homeopathic remedies.

“Homeopaths have argued that systematic reviews that fail to generate positive conclusions
about homeopathy are biased,” Prof Ernst said.
.

“However, as most of the reviews I appraised were authored by homeopaths, it seems
unlikely that they were biased against homeopathy. In fact, one might argue that they were
biased in favour of homeopathy.
.

“For instance, one reviewer [not a Cochrane author] deliberately set out to select only the
positive evidence and omit all negative evidence.”

Prof Ernst said some homeopaths argued that the controlled clinical trial was not suited for
the study of homeopathy and that observational data, which appeared to suggest that
homeopathy was effective, demonstrated the true value of the method.

“A more rational explanation would be that the positive outcomes of observational studies are
caused by the non-specific aspects of homeopathic treatments, while the controlled trials
demonstrate that homeopathic remedies are placebos,” Prof Ernst said.

The Medical Journal of Australia is a publication of the Australian Medical Association.

Get the full pdf here.

Australian parents urged to get the real facts on vaccination

Businessman, aviator, and explorer, Dick Smith, has funded an Australian Skeptics’ advertisement to urge parents to access factual information on vaccination, in the wake of the country’s largest Whooping Cough epidemic.

The advertisement warns people to avoid advice from groups such as the Australian Vaccination Network (AVN), which state that they are ‘pro-choice’ but are opposed to vaccination and spread misinformation about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines.

“Dick Smith Foods has funded this advertisement in the public interest, to ensure parents access unbiased, accurate advice from reputable medical sources. The Australian Vaccination Network is no such source,” said Mr Smith.

The advertisement – placed in the Thursday, August 6 edition of The Australian newspaper – warns parents that the AVN is spreading false claims including that vaccines contain toxic quantities of mercury, aluminium, and formaldehyde; that vaccines cause conditions such as autism, and that the AVN is providing incorrect information about the risks of childhood illnesses.

Following the tragic death of three babies to Whooping Cough, Australian Skeptics has established an information page with information on the myths and realities of vaccines and links to reputable sources.

The parents of four-week-old Dana McCaffery, who died from Whooping Cough in March, have welcomed the Skeptics’ actions.

“We implore parents to access reputable sources for information about vaccination. We thank the Australian Skeptics for presenting this information, which informs parents about the risks of preventable illnesses, addresses fears of vaccines with proven evidence, and debunks common myths. It is vital all Australian governments act now and implement comprehensive education campaigns to fully inform parents about the importance of vaccination,” said Toni and David McCaffery.

Eran Segev, president of Australian Skeptics Inc, said: “Australian Skeptics believes strongly that the public should have access to full and factual information so that they can form their opinions and choices in life, not half-truths, mistruths and fantasies.”

The Australian Skeptics has several thousand members across Australia, and investigates paranormal and pseudo-scientific claims from a responsible scientific viewpoint.

Further information: Australian Skeptics

Media contact: Tim Mendham, 0432 713 195