It’s Time for the FDA to Allow Access to the Full Range of Homeopathic Medicines

By Paola Brown, President, Americans for Homeopathy Choice Action

Homeopathy in America has been thrown into crisis. The cause is clear. Policies of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are strangling the homeopathic medicine industry and thereby reducing access to homeopathic medicines for consumers.

For those unfamiliar with homeopathy, this form of medicine is recognized by 49 countries and used by 500 million people and 250,000 physicians worldwide. Substantially different from pharmaceutical drugs, homeopathic medicines are specially prepared dilutions that are nontoxic by design and often made from commonly available substances. They are used safely by millions of Americans every day as over-the-counter medicine for minor illnesses and injuries and by a wide range of licensed health care practitioners as both a primary treatment and an adjunct to other treatments.

The current homeopathic crisis is new. Homeopathic medicines have been safely used for over 200 years and sold under FDA oversight since the passage of the 1938 Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

The trouble began when the FDA reversed 80 years of policy by recharacterizing homeopathic medicine as “unapproved new drugs” that are being “marketed illegally.” Since then, the agency has swiftly removed entire categories of homeopathic medicines from the market—without evidence of safety problems—and more are now at risk.

Fortunately, there is a solution. Our organization, Americans for Homeopathy Choice Action, has proposed legislation that protects the full range of homeopathic medicines. It establishes a regulatory framework specifically tailored to fit the unique requirements for the manufacture, distribution, sale and use of safe homeopathic medicines—much like Congress has done for dietary supplements, biologics, compounded drugs, and medical devices.

Our legislation would provide a legal framework for the marketing of homeopathic drug products. Manufacturing and labeling requirements would be tailored to the specific needs and requirements of homeopathic drug production. The bill would also allow claims and indications for use that are found in widely recognized homeopathic literature.

Homeopathic medicines have a long history of safety. In more than 200 years there has never been a single documented death or serious injury from their use. This is not surprising, since homeopathic medicines are nontoxic by design.

German physician Samuel Hahnemann (1755 – 1843), the father of homeopathy, sought ways to treat his patients without the toxic side effects and dangerous procedures prevalent in the medicine of his day. He searched for alternatives to bloodletting, leeches, and medicines made from mercury, lead, arsenic, and various strong herbs, which resulted in toxic effects and even death in patients.

The watchword in medicine is “first, do no harm,” and Hahnemann, a faithful seeker in this tradition, embodied it fully. He learned of an ancient principle in medicine known as “like cures like.” The principle was mentioned by the ancient Greek physician, Hippocrates, famous for the Hippocratic Oath, a pledge of upright professional conduct for physicians. He also found references by Paracelsus, a Renaissance physician responsible for introducing the use of chemicals and minerals in medicine.

Hahnemann noticed that various substances when ingested in undiluted form created the same symptoms as certain diseases. He hypothesized that by following the principle of like cures like, these substances might be useful in treating such diseases, but only if those substances were ingested in a much more dilute form. This insight led to experiments that resulted in the first homeopathic medicines, highly dilute solutions of commonly available herbs and chemicals that elicit a healing response from the body without toxic side effects.

Because homeopathy, when properly applied, produces remarkable results, it quickly spread across the world in the 19th century. By 1900 it was so embedded in the American health system that the U.S. Congress allocated land and funding for a memorial to Samuel Hahnemann—now standing in Washington, D.C.’s Scott Circle.

With the rapid rise of the pharmaceutical industry in the 20th century, homeopathy fell out of favor and was discontinued as a course of study in many—though not all—medical colleges. But the effectiveness and safety of homeopathic medicines coupled with the rise of the natural health movement in the later decades sparked a revival in homeopathy which continues to this day. The industry reports growth in yearly sales exceeding 10 percent.

Today, homeopathy is practiced worldwide including in some hospitals that emphasize integrative health care. Many medical doctors, osteopaths, naturopaths, chiropractors, veterinarians, and other health practitioners routinely prescribe homeopathic medicines for their patients as a low-cost and inherently safe treatment for many conditions.

At the heart of homeopathy’s continued growth and relevance are the families, mothers, and individuals who have experienced its benefits first hand. Their stories of healing, empowerment, and hope are what keep this tradition alive—not just as a form of medicine, but as a movement grounded in trust, care, and the deep desire to do no harm.

Paola Brown is a homeopathy educator, author, and president of Americans for Homeopathy Choice. She developed a full homeopathy curriculum for families and advocates nationally for health freedom and natural medicine access.