They sell it in pharmacies. So what is actually in it?
It is sold in pharmacies, recommended by some health professionals and trusted by millions of people. It was invented by a German physician more than two centuries ago. So what is in those little sugar pills, and do they work?
The claim
Homeopathy rests on two principles. The first is "like cures like": a substance that causes symptoms in a healthy person can cure similar symptoms in a sick one. The second is that remedies become more powerful the more they are diluted and shaken [1].
Where it came from
Samuel Hahnemann (1755–1843), a German physician, set out these principles in his book Organon of Medicine, which he revised through several editions; the fifth edition was published in English in 1849 [1].
Who promotes it
Homeopathy is defended by professional associations of its practitioners. In 2018, the British Homeopathic Association took NHS England to court to challenge its decision to stop routinely prescribing homeopathy; the High Court dismissed the claim [2].
King Charles III has backed homeopathy in public for decades. As Prince of Wales, he wrote to the health secretary asking for complementary therapies in the NHS and opposing cuts to homeopathic hospitals, saying he could not “bear people suffering unnecessarily when a complementary approach could make a real difference”; the letters were released in 2015 [3]. In 2016 he told an international meeting on antibiotic resistance: “we have been successfully using homeopathic – yes, homeopathic – treatments for my cattle and sheep” [4]. In 2019 he became patron of the Faculty of Homeopathy [5], and as king he chose a doctor who advocates complementary medicine, including homeopathy, as head of the royal medical household [6].
Where it spreads today
Homeopathic products are sold widely, and some countries have paid for them through public health insurance. In France, the national health authority (HAS) evaluated homeopathic medicines in 2019 at the request of the government and recommended that they no longer be reimbursed [7].
In England, NHS England told general practitioners in November 2017 not to prescribe homeopathy as a new treatment and to support patients in stopping existing prescriptions [2].
What the evidence says
A 2005 study in The Lancet compared placebo-controlled trials of homeopathy with trials of conventional medicine, and concluded that the clinical effects of homeopathy are compatible with placebo effects [8].
In 2010, the UK House of Commons Science and Technology Committee concluded that homeopathy does not work beyond the placebo effect, and recommended that the National Health Service stop funding it [9].
In 2015, Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council reviewed the evidence and found no health conditions for which there was reliable evidence that homeopathy is effective [10].
In 2017, the European Academies' Science Advisory Council found no robust, reproducible evidence that homeopathic products are effective for any known disease, and warned that homeopathy can cause harm by delaying appropriate medical care [11].
In April 2026, Spain's medicines agency (AEMPS) analysed 64 systematic reviews published since 2009 and concluded that there is no published scientific evidence that homeopathy is an effective treatment, that its observed efficacy is comparable to placebo, and that people can put their health at risk if they reject or replace evidence-based treatments [12].
Evidence behind this entry
Distinct sources cited, by tier.
| Tier 1: Systematic reviews and official positions | 6 |
|---|---|
| Tier 2: Studies, rulings and records | 1 |
| Tier 3: Journalism and expert organizations | 4 |
| Tier 4: Claim sources | 1 |
Verdict
Homeopathy does not work beyond the placebo effect. Independent scientific and health bodies in several countries, reviewing the evidence separately over two decades, reached the same conclusion. The real risk is not the sugar pill itself, but the effective treatment someone might skip while taking it.
Sources
Tier 1: Systematic reviews and official positions
- 7. Médicaments homéopathiques : une efficacité insuffisante pour être proposés au remboursement. Haute Autorité de Santé (France), 2019-06-28. has-sante.fr
- 8. Are the clinical effects of homoeopathy placebo effects? Comparative study of placebo-controlled trials of homoeopathy and allopathy. The Lancet (Shang A, Huwiler-Müntener K, Nartey L, et al.), 2005-08. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)67177-2
- 9. Evidence Check 2: Homeopathy (Fourth Report of Session 2009–10, HC 45). House of Commons Science and Technology Committee (United Kingdom), 2010-02-22. publications.parliament.uk
- 10. NHMRC Information Paper: Evidence on the effectiveness of homeopathy for treating health conditions. National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia), 2015-03. nhmrc.gov.au (archived copy)
- 11. Homeopathic products and practices: assessing the evidence and ensuring consistency in regulating medical claims in the EU. European Academies' Science Advisory Council (EASAC), 2017-09. easac.eu
- 12. Homeopatía y productos homeopáticos: evaluación de las evidencias acerca de su eficacia y seguridad. Agencia Española de Medicamentos y Productos Sanitarios (AEMPS), 2026-04-21. aemps.gob.es
Tier 2: Studies, rulings and records
- 2. R (British Homeopathic Association) v National Health Service Commissioning Board [2018] EWHC 1359 (Admin). High Court of England and Wales, 2018-06-05. caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Tier 3: Journalism and expert organizations
- 3. 'Black spider memos': Prince Charles lobbied over NHS homeopathy funding. The Guardian (Rob Evans), 2015-06-04. theguardian.com
- 4. Prince Charles: I use homeopathy in animals to cut antibiotic use. The Guardian (Sarah Boseley), 2016-05-12. theguardian.com
- 5. Prince Charles becomes patron of homeopathy group. The Guardian (Haroon Siddique), 2019-06-25. theguardian.com
- 6. King Charles criticised for appointing pro-homeopathy doctor. The Guardian, 2023-12-10. theguardian.com
Tier 4: Claim sources (what promoters say, not evidence)
- 1. Organon of Medicine (fifth German edition, translated by R. E. Dudgeon). Samuel Hahnemann; W. Headland, London, 1849. wellcomecollection.org (archived copy)