Paris (AFP)

It is (almost) the epilogue of the war of granules which opposes anti and pro-homeopathy for two years: reimbursed up to 30%, homeopathic products supported by social security will only be 15% from Wednesday, prelude to total reimbursement in 2021.

This decision, sealed by several orders in October and November, was announced on July 9 by the Ministry of Health, after a long controversy.

This concerns some 1,200 homeopathic products, some of which are well known to the French, such as Gelsemium (supposed to fight against anxiety).

The famous Oscillococcinum (supposed to treat flu symptoms) is not on the list: it is one of the homeopathic products which, even before this decision, were not already reimbursed.

To decide, the Minister of Health Agnès Buzyn relied on an overwhelming opinion from the High Authority for Health (HAS) given in late June. This organization had concluded that homeopathic products had "not demonstrated scientifically sufficient effectiveness to justify a reimbursement".

The "transition period" before the total reimbursement will "leave the time for education" with patients and "will also leave time for manufacturers to organize," said Ms. Buzyn in July.

But the laboratories that manufacture homeopathic products do not seem to want to resolve it: two of them, the French Boiron (world leader) and Lehning, have filed appeals with the Council of State.

Recurring in recent years, the debate had been spectacularly revived in March 2018, by the publication in Le Figaro of a vehement platform against homeopathy and other "alternative medicines".

It was signed by 124 health professionals who then founded a collective called Fakemed ("fake medicines", in English).

Even if the fate of homeopathy has since been decided, some of them are still subject to disciplinary proceedings before the Order of Physicians.

He was seized in 2018 by the National Union of Homeopathic Physicians (SNMHF), which accuses the signatories of "non-brotherhood" and accuses them of the sharp terms used in the forum.

His complaints were aimed at around sixty doctors across France. So far, around twenty first instance decisions have been issued, which vary by region: there have been eight warnings, three complaints dismissed and one release, according to the Fakemed collective.

For Ile-de-France, ten signatories appeared in Paris on December 17.

The decisions have been put under advisement and should be pronounced in mid-January according to Fakemed, who says he fears suspensions of exercise for some doctors. A decision which, if confirmed, would have the effect of a bomb on anti-homeopathy.

© 2019 AFP