RAS recognized homeopathy of pseudoscience

The Russian Academy of Sciences officially recognized homeopathy pseudoscience. This was reported in a press release provided by the editorial board of the Commission to combat pseudoscience and falsification of scientific research under the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

“The Commission for Combating Pseudoscience and Falsification of Scientific Research at the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with the Educational Foundation Evolution, published a memorandum on the pseudoscience of homeopathy , which states that“ treatment with ultra-low doses of drugs used in homeopathy has no scientific basis ” . The conclusion of the commission at the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences is based on a thorough study of publications in scientific journals and clinical research reports. The commission states that the principles of homeopathy and the explanation of the mechanisms of its action contradict the known laws of nature, and that there is no evidence of its effectiveness. The expert group of the Commission included experts in the field of evidence, experimental and clinical medicine, physics, chemistry, biochemistry, immunology, psychology, molecular biology, pharmacology, biotechnology, pharmacy and biostatistics, ”the press release said.
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The expert opinion of the memorandum was signed by more than thirty people who are scientists, doctors of medical and chemical sciences, professors and doctors of almost all specializations, from therapists to sexologists.

Wikipedia provides the following definition of homeopathy:

" Homeopathy is a type of alternative (pseudoscientific, ed.) Medicine, which involves the use of highly diluted drugs, which, presumably, cause symptoms in healthy people, similar to the symptoms of the patient's illness. The concept of treatment according to the pseudoscientific principle" similar to the like "(Latin similia similibus curantur) is opposed by homeopaths to the principles of rational pharmacotherapy. " Homeopathy as an alternative medicine was formed more than 200 years ago, “when the most important concepts of chemistry and biology about the properties of molecules and the existence of microbes were not yet generally accepted. Some scientists believed then that matter was infinitely divisible, and therefore it made sense for them to talk about diluting solutions to any degree ... homeopathy is based on theoretical principles that do not correspond to or directly contradict fundamental scientific principles and laws of physics, chemistry, biology and medicine. Empirical data obtained in independent clinical studies of a high level of evidence do not confirm the clinical effectiveness of homeopathic remedies, ”the memorandum says.

The authors of the document emphasize that, with seeming harmlessness, homeopathy is not such and represents a dangerous delusion: instead of effective pharmacological treatment, homeopathic supporters spend significant amounts of money on ineffective “drugs” - drugs that do not contain active substances (or have a concentration of active substances close to zero). Such a "treatment" can lead to serious consequences, even death.

“This memorandum states that in the scientific community, homeopathy is today regarded as pseudoscience. Its use in medicine is contrary to the main goals of domestic health care and should be met by organized government opposition, ”the document says.

According to the recommendations published in the framework of the memorandum, the RAS Commission encourages all entities involved in the provision of health care and drug sales, as well as supervisory authorities and departments to participate in countering the spread of homeopathic medicines and the very concept of a pseudo-scientific approach. Thus, the document lists recommendations for action for the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, the Federal Service for Supervision of Public Health, the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service, pharmacies, pharmacists, doctors and even teachers of all types of educational institutions and media representatives.

For example, the Ministry of Health is recommended to oblige manufacturers of homeopathic products to put mandatory marking “Homeopathic” on secondary packaging, supervisors to stop selling real medicines under the guise of homeopathic, FAS to limit citizens from advertising ineffective homeopathic remedies. The Russian Academy of Sciences also calls for the active promotion of homeopathy as a pseudoscientific and ineffective approach to treatment. Teachers are invited to “educate students on the issues of the methodology of scientific experiments and the basic principles of evidence-based medicine,” and media representatives are specifically asked to put homeopathy on a par with “magic, healing and extrasensory” and strongly emphasize the pseudo-scientific origin of these alternative therapies.

The document specifically states that phytotherapy should not be counted as a false scientific homeopathy (because herbs contain a high (measurable) concentration of medicinal substances), as well as a scientifically proven placebo effect.

The published memorandum can be considered the beginning of a full-scale struggle with homeopathy, to which the Academy plans to attract all possible resources and departments.