Did you know that the law the FDA uses to oversee the safety of food and drugs was written by homeopathic physician Dr. Royal Copeland?
The FDA is attempting to repeal protections for homeopathic medications that Dr. Copeland included in the FDA law that was passed in 1938 and is still used to oversee the safety of food and drugs.
This law is a testament to how diligent and concerned Dr. Copeland was in safeguarding the public from dangerous drugs.
It’s no accident that Dr. Copeland had a deep knowledge and desire to keep us safe from toxic drugs and treatments. As a homeopath Dr. Copeland was acutely aware that drugs and food could be dangerous, and his law established the standard practice of approving new pharmaceutical drugs as we know it today.
He was one of the most esteemed legislators of the early 20th century and served as United States senator from New York from 1923 until 1938. Franklin D. Roosevelt was his first campaign manager.
The existing law provides clear guidance regarding the creation and distribution of homeopathic remedies. The new guidelines the FDA is proposing, attempt to classify safe homeopathic remedies as unapproved pharmaceutical drugs.
We in the homeopathic community see this as yet another hostile act engineered by the powerful pharmaceutical drug lobby to force all health and wellness practitioners to use their toxic chemical drugs.
In response, the homeopathic industry group the National Health Freedom Action (NHFA) has built relationships with key politicians to make sure the FDA considers all sides when issuing its new guidelines.
The North American Society of Homeopaths has issued a detailed response to the FDA, which can be read here:
https://homeopathy.org/nash-news/overview-fda-draft-guidance/
A key section of our response:
There is awareness among Americans that personal choice in health care directly impacts how, and whether, a person will gain a full sense of health and wellness. In addition, Americans are deeply concerned about infringements on their ability to make choices caused by regulatory systems that do not adequately protect a person’s health care options and personal liberties.
Why is this important?
Homeopathy has a history of relieving illness for millions of people worldwide.
In fact many of the profits drug companies would make by selling powerful chemicals for routine and non serious illnesses stands to go up substantially if safe homeopathic remedies are forbidden.
We homeopaths have a commitment to making sure our patients have access to the safest most effective remedies for their illnesses.
How we do this:
1. The Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States—HPUS—has been in continuous publication since 1897, is updated regularly by homeopathic pharmacists, and contains the knowledge developed by our profession over decades. Modern homeopathic pharmacies have up-to-date stainless steel equipment and hygienic methods of production and are regularly inspected by the FDA.
2. Using Homeopathy Law of Infinitesimals we use the active ingredient of the natural disease, diluted in safe, infinitesimal doses.
3. Using the HPUS and the Law of Infinitesimals we show your body how to safely develop resistance and to cure the disease without exacerbating the symptoms.
In fact many of the downsides of pharmaceutical drugs like:
· The opioid crisis
· Antibiotics overuse
· Polypharmacy toxicity (the use of many drugs concurrently)
· Dangerous prescription drug side effects
· The monopoly prices of pharmaceutical companies
are challenged by the use of homeopathic remedies. This is a huge reason that the pharmaceutical industry has lobbied our medical evaluation regulations to improve their profits.
There are many pro-homeopathy organizations coming together to deal with this latest assault on homeopathy. Besides the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the U.S, the National Center for Homeopathy, North American Society of Homeopathy, California Homeopathic Medical Society, Bay Area Homeopathic Association, etc., there is an organization specifically for families who use homeopathy and want to increase awareness and support for the profession. Americans for Homeopathy Choice is a Facebook group—they post great articles and suggestions for consumers of homeopathy to support homeopathy, so they can continue to purchase and use remedies and have access to practitioners.
The comment period for the FDA’s new proposed guidelines was over on May 23. Hopefully, the agency and policymakers will realize that what Royal Copeland wrote into law 80 years ago, with its most recent revision in 1995, is perfectly valid now.