Regulation of Homeopathy- New Directions In Ontario
June 11, 2006
The Health Professions Regulatory Advisory Council has just released their recommendation to the Minister of Health recommending homeopathic practitioners in Ontario be regulated. Some would call this a good thing. I am happy about it. Homeopathy is legally practiced in Ontario, and, up until now, has not been regulated by the government because homeopathic medicine is safe if administered by a homeopath. Regulation would give credibility to the profession. With credibility comes coverage by Insurance companies for extended health care. OHIP is a formidable competitor for those of us full time homeopaths and being covered by private insurance would help bring homeopathy into the mainstream of medicine, as is chiropractics, acupuncture, massage therapy, etc. Regulation will be good for the patient, the homeopathic student, and the homeopathic practitioner.
Regulation protects the patient from the uneducated practitioner, or the fraudulent and unscrupulous. Anyone can call themselves a homeopath. Anyone can practice homeopathy. The standards of education in Ontario go from weekend courses up to over 3,000 hours of homeopathic studies. For example, Chiropractors study of homeopathy consists of under 200 hours. Naturopaths study homeopathy for under 350 hours. The standards of practice between varying professions are, of course, much different. In the homeopathic school I attended we studied homeopathy for over 3,000 hours. Our clinical internship alone was 1600 hours. In addition to this extensive training I am currently studying in a 2 year post graduate program with a master homeopath.
Regulation will also protect homeopathic students by providing an independent regulatory body. Anyone can open a school to teach homeopathy. Students may be taught by teachers and supervisors without teaching credentials and with little homeopathic experience. Without regulation students at these schools have had no recourse to sexual harassment, or abuse, by administrators and teachers. Up until now the schools have carried on with impunity.
Regulation will also make it harder for the schools and the associations to control through nepotism and cronyism. Associations will actually have to do something for their members or they won’t survive. Having no choice but to share a college with the Naturopaths, who have been self regulated for years, will force the homeopaths to actually practice the ethics that they profess to adhere to.
Regulation for the homeopathic profession means that there is a real regulatory college accountable to the profession, the government, and the public at large. I look forward to this.
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