Evidence check 2

This is the second Evidence check report. It examines the Government's policies on the provision of homeopathy through the National Health Service (NHS) and the licensing of homeopathic products by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). This was prompted after a Government response in September 2009 indicated that scientific evidence was not used to formulate the licensing regime operated by the MHRA. This inquiry is an examination of the evidence behind government policies on homeopathy, not an inquiry into homeopathy. The task was to determine whether scientific evidence supports government policies. The Government acknowledges that there is no credible evidence of efficacy for homeopathy however this view has not translated into evidence-based policies. The Committee states that by providing homeopathy on the NHS and allowing MHRA licensing of products which subsequently appear on pharmacy shelves the Government runs the risk of endorsing homeopathy as efficacious. The Committee concludes that homeopathy should not be funded on the NHS and the MHRA should stop licensing homeopathic products