Faculty members across all disciplines are being asked to support European veterinary colleagues who are concerned their ability to treat animals homeopathically is under threat.
In 2017, the European parliament added two important amendments to the new EU Veterinary Medicine Regulation, which allowed vets to use homeopathic medicines approved for human use on all animals – including livestock – outside of what is known as the Cascade Rules. The Cascade Rules direct vets to first use a veterinary medicine registered for that species and the condition diagnosed, before any other medication can be prescribed.
However, the Council of the EU has refused to accept these amendments. After discussions between council representative and senior members of the International Association of Veterinary Homeopathy (IAVH), it transpired there are legal difficulties using homeopathic medicines approved for humans on animals because only the veterinary homeopathic remedies fall outside the “cascade”. At present there are only a very small number of remedies registered for the treatment of animals, so unless manufacturers register enough homeopathic remedies as being suitable for veterinary use, vets across the EU will be very limited in their treatment choices.
The IAVH is calling on all Faculty members to support its campaign to protect a vet’s right to treat animals according to his/her training and experience, by emailing their Member of the European Parliament (MEP) by 31 March 2018.
Edward de Beukelaer, IAVH president, says because the Council’s view creates a conflict with other EU regulations and policy, there is a good chance of getting this decision overturned if enough MEPs and council members are made aware of this.
In writing to your MEP, Mr de Beukelaer suggests you highlight these three main points:
- by reducing the authorised remedies it will be difficult to follow the regulation that says that homeopathic and herbal remedies are preferred over conventional medicine for the treatment of animals in organic farming.
- by not allowing remedies prepared with alcohol to be sold in pharmacies the proposal of the Council goes against the European pharmacopeia, to which they refer in the regulation.
- Therapeutic freedom will be curtailed.
Find your MEP’s email address by clicking here