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Anthroposophic Medicine

Homepage of the Medical Section at the Goetheanum with information about anthroposophic medicine

International Federation of Anthroposophical Medical Associations IVAA

Positiopaper regarding the effects of the current medico-legal framework of the European Community on anthroposophic medicine

The IVAA welcomes the direction and recent developments of the European systems of directives concerning medicinal products. However, in its current structure this system still creates unfair and unnecessary impediments for registration, licensing and marketing authorisations that would safeguard the availability to doctors and patients as well as enable the free movement across the European Union of medicinal products used in anthroposophic medicine, products which generally have a very good safety record well in excess of half a century. The lines have often been drawn arbitrarily an irrationally, resulting in a system considerably biased against anthroposophic medicinal products. It has thereby become a system of restriction, jeopardising the freedom of the individual patients to obtain the medicines of their choice, as well as the freedom of the practitioner to prescribe. The current system is therefore not representative of the culture of scientific pluralism that in reality exists in Europe.

A Legal Opinion commissioned by the IVAA on the directives 92/73/EEC and 92/74/EEC and the practice of anthroposophic medicine (published March 1998) investigates the system of directives against the background of general principles of international and European law and established codices of human rights. This Legal Opinion highlights a range of problems, most of which however can be easily remedied by minor adjustments of current wording of existing directives. Recommendations to this effect are included below.

Medicinal products used in anthroposophic medicine, which cover a range of dispensing forms, are often combinations of potentised and non-potentised substances, and using a number of different processes of manufacture defined in Homeopathic Pharmacopoeias of European Member States. It is for this latter reason that the IVAA has over the years brought forward a range of recommendations and proposals, primarily focusing on the old Homeopathic Directive which, together with some more recent legislation has now been assimilated into Directive 2001/83/EC. Most of the problems remain unresolved though.

If you have questions, suggestions or comments regarding the content of these pages, please contact directly the secretary of the Medical Section CH-4143 Dornach, Telephone: +41-61-7064290, Telefax: +41-61-7064291, E-mail: med.sektion@goetheanum.ch.

This page was updated 08.11.2003.