How is the homeopathy market doing? And consultations and prescriptions? This is the Europe 1 editorial survey.

INVESTIGATION

Homeopathy will no longer be reimbursed by social security from January 2021. The effectiveness of these small white granules sharply divides the French medical community. This one having never been proved, the government decided and decided the derogation of the homeopathy. While it will only be effective in 2021, the homeopathy market is already upset.

Sales of pellets have begun to decline. Boiron, the market leader, recorded a 10.5% drop in sales in France in the first half of 2019. The same goes for pharmacists: 12% less turnover since the beginning of the year. year, according to pharmastat. However, this is not a recent decline since it has already started in 2018: -10% of turnover for pharmacy. Social security has also recognized that it has been paying less for homeopathy since last year.

Decline in the number of homeopathic doctors

But then, how to explain this decline? Because the controversy on homeopathy began well before the government decided to get rid of it this summer. In March 2018, a vehement stand of 124 doctors is published in Le Figaro against alternative doctors, such as homeopathy, whose effectiveness has not yet been proven.

In addition, the number of homeopathic doctors has decreased, many have recently retired. Some have even dropped earlier than expected, tired of attacks from all sides, said the president of the syndicate of French homeopathic doctors in Europe 1. Doctors prescribing homeopathy no longer feel supported by neither health authorities, nor by the Order of Physicians who decided to no longer recognize the title of homeopathic doctor.

"It's not because we do not have the title that we can not prescribe"

Even universities have anticipated the derogation of homeopathy. Some universities have simply decided to close their University Diploma of Homeopathy, for lack of registrants such as Limoges, Poitiers and Tours, or because the dean of the medical school no longer wanted to support this practice deemed unscientific, which was the case in Lille or Angers. Today there are three or four university courses, including a joint degree at the universities of Lyon, Brest and Reims. Amandine, 27, who is following this course, is sorry to have to renounce the title of homeopathic doctor in the middle of her training: "It's disappointing, I was especially afraid that we would not have the right to do the second So I was rather relieved to have a degree, even if it may not be fully recognized.It's a shame.But it's not because we do not have the title that we can not prescribe ".

Some factions have however decided to make resistance. They will propose for the next school year a new diploma that will integrate other alternative doctors. A diploma that the order of doctors will recognize. From now on, the hope rests mainly on the patients since 63% of the French assure that they will continue to swallow granules in spite of the delisting.