The Hon. Thomas Mulcair And Dr Christiane Laberge Address Homeopathy With Experts and Patients

MONTREAL, Nov. 19, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - Actors from the homeopathic community, who have now become new members of a professional movement launched for the first time, the Quebec Coalition for Homeopathy, presented a discussion on homeopathy in Montreal through a round table entitled "Homeopathy: Recognizing its legitimacy: an issue of interest for the health of Quebecers". A panel of clinical and scientific experts participated in this discussion, moderated by Dr. Christiane Laberge, MD, family physician and health columnist, and sponsored by the Hon. Thomas Mulcair, politician and former president of the Office des professions du Québec. The experts discussed specific issues related to homeopathy while setting the record straight on this controversial therapy. They also raised the debate on the importance of recognizing the legitimacy of homeopathy in a context of the growing emergence of personalized medicine and integrative health. In addition, a new public movement, the Quebec Citizens Movement for Homeopathy (QCMH), which has also just emerged, has issued a call to action to all Quebec patients using homeopathy.

"As a former president of the Office des professions, I always pay particular attention to the protection of the public. To make informed choices, consumers must be able to access truthful information. ", says Thomas Mulcair," Regarding homeopathy, a fraudulent report with several major flaws published in Australia in 2015 has contributed to confusion. It's time to look at both sides of the coin," he says.

"Recently, homeopathy has made headlines, in France, with the delisting of homeopathic medicines covered under nation healthcare plan, but also in Germany and Switzerland where reimbursement has instead been maintained. The issue of delisting does not apply to us in Canada. But the question of the legitimacy of homeopathy is certainly of interest for the 4.9 million Canadians¹ who use homeopathy," adds Dr. Christiane Laberge.

The presence of experts, patients and caregivers

Experts from different fields were present at the roundtable: Jean Drouin, MD, clinical professor in the Department of Family Medicine at Université Laval; Christophe Augé, pharmacist, lecturer at the Faculty of Pharmacy at Université de Montréal and Associate Editor-in-Chief of Québec-Pharmacie; Paul Labrèche, homeopath and President of the Syndicat professionnel des homéopathes du Québec. Concerned and committed citizens such as Chantal Lévesque, a caregiver, as well as two patients, Talia Markarian and Alexandra Pilarski, also gave moving testimonies. International leaders, Alexander Tournier, PhD, co-founder and Executive Director, and Rachel Roberts, Executive Director, Homeopathy Research Institute (HRI), London, United Kingdom, have also raised scientific evidence regarding homeopathy research.

Recognizing the legitimacy of homeopathy: a matter of public protection

Homeopathy is based on 200 years of studies and clinical observations and is used by over 200 million patients worldwide². Considering the increasingly obvious rise of personalized medicine and integrative health, it is becoming necessary to recognize the legitimacy of homeopathy. It is essential that the supervision of the practice of homeopathy be carried out in a rigorous manner, within a well-defined framework. In this sense, recognizing the legitimacy of homeopathy would pave the way for recognized and certified training, as is the case with acupuncture in Quebec, for example, therefore ensuring the protection of patients and practitioners.

"Around the world, we have many examples of countries that recognize the practice of homeopathy by non-physicians. In Germany and Switzerland, for example, the practice of homeopathy by doctors and non-physicians co-exists and is perfectly regulated. And just next door, in Ontario, the profession has also been regulated by a professional order since 2015.", explains Paul Labrèche.

"A framework for the practice of homeopathy could open the door for physicians to use it, in addition to conventional medicine, in order to offer a better service to their patients," suggests Dr. Jean Drouin", "This is what patients are asking for today and it would fit perfectly within an integrative health approach. For years, I have been advocating for integrative health training for future physicians," he continues.

What about freedom of choice in all this?

Freedom of choice is a fundamental right of every citizen. The same also applies to patients and health practitioners who wish to use homeopathy to treat themselves or others.

"As a patient and mother, I have the right to freely choose the treatments I use for myself and my family. Accessibility to my homeopathic remedies and medicines is essential.", says Alexandra Pilarski, " Promoting homeopathy and defending my freedom of choice are the reasons why I co-founded Homeo Populi, the Quebec Citizens Movement for Homeopathy. I invite Quebecers to join the movement by following our Facebook page.", she continues.

In fact, whether one is for or against homeopathy, the patient's health and well-being remain paramount and guarantee fundamental freedom of choice.

For more information on the roundtable and the Quebec Coalition for Homeopathy (QCFH), visit www.cphq.ca

About the Quebec Coalition for Homeopathy

Officially launched on November 19, 2019, the Coalition is a pro-homeopathy positive pressure group, composed of patient associations, homeopathy practitioners and homeopathy industries, dedicated to defending and promoting homeopathy in Quebec and preserving and maintaining the freedom of choice of patients, citizens and health practitioners wishing to treat or otherwise treat themselves. For information, www.cphq.ca

Please note: Photos of the event will be available starting from 1 PM, at www.cphq.ca/medias

1 Behaviours and Attitudes Towards Homeopathic Medicine: A Survey of Canadians - H+K, Canadian Homeopathic Pharmaceutical Association (CHPA) Final report - April 2019

2 Homeopathy Research Institute, https://www.hri-research.org/resources/essentialevidence/use-of-homeopathy-across-the-world/

SOURCE Quebec Coalition for Homeopathy

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