Survey on the Availability of Homeopathic and Anthroposophic Medicinal Products in European Union
Executive summary of findings by PwC
An independent survey on the availability of homeopathic and anthroposophic medicinal products (HAMPs) was commissioned from PwC.
This was executed for six products in five Member States between January and March 2012. PwC summarises the results as follows:
“Based on the countries surveyed and the homeopathic and anthroposophic medicinal products questioned, a difference in the availability of HAMP is noticeable:
- Some countries have a better developed market of HAMP, such as France, Spain and especially Germany showing highest availability of most products and short delivery times if a product order has been placed.
- Specific brands of medicinal products with no therapeutic indication, reflecting the classical single remedy homeopathy, are often difficult to find immediately (i.e. without ordering). However, these products can mostly be delivered to customers after a product order has been placed. Of the two products questioned in the survey within this segment, Formica (rufa) was the hardest one to find.
- However, requesting homeopathic medicinal products for specific symptoms, i.e. medicinal products with a therapeutic indication (instead of specific brands for these symptoms), results in much better direct availabilities. Self-medication seems to be well-developed for the indications surveyed.
- Anthroposophic medicinal products are seldom directly available in the countries surveyed. Only in countries with a more or less well-functioning HAMP regulatory system, the products surveyed can be ordered and delivered accordingly, with Germany as best-in-class.
- The products’ availability does not show significant differences across the geographical regions within the countries surveyed: the availability of the products questioned is more or less the same in big cities, middle-sized cities, and countryside areas.
- As regards registration or authorisation numbers, a validation of the products provided has been done by a qualified person and led to the following general statements:
− In Spain none of the products provided carried an authorisation number.
− In France most of the products did not show an authorisation number either.
− In Germany and Bulgaria most of the products provided carried an authorisation number.
− In Romania the situation could not be validated due to the loss of the pack with the samples in the post.”
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