Homeopathy in crack-cocaine craving: randomized, placebo controlled, double-blind study (COCACRACK study)

Centro de Atenção PsicossocialCentro de Atendimento à Pessoa DeficienteCentro de Referência de Álcool, Tabaco e Outras DrogasCentro Brasileiro de Informações sobre DrogasFarmácia Homeopática HN-CristianoUniversidade de São Paulo Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão PretoUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)UNIFESPSciEL

Homeopathic potencies of Opium in alcohol dependence: exploratory open-label study

(1) Associated researchers of the project "Translational study with innovative approaches for dealing with problems related to alcohol use, risk and dependence". Homeopathy is a CAM modality recognized as medical specialty in Brazil. According to the clinical experience of the early homeopaths, Opium was used to treat patients with alcohol dependence. Aim: to perform a preliminary assessment of the effectiveness and tolerability of fifty-millesimal potencies of Opium in the treatment of alcohol-dependent patients. Methods: exploratory, prospective, open-label trial, with pre-treatment measures as control. Confidence intervals were used to estimate the magnitude of the clinical differences. Results: a total of 14 patients were included, from which 12 were evaluated (intention to treat analysis -ITT). There was a significant reduction in the average daily alcohol consumption (-29.37 units of alcohol/day; 95% CI=10.63; 48.11) and in the severity of alcohol dependence, measured by the mean score of the Short Alcohol Dependence Data questionnaire 95% CI= 4.12; 16.22). No serious adverse events were reported. Randomized controlled studies with larger samples are needed

Homeopathic potencies of Opium in alcohol dependence: exploratory open-label study

(1) Associated researchers of the project "Translational study with innovative approaches for dealing with problems related to alcohol use, risk and dependence". Homeopathy is a CAM modality recognized as medical specialty in Brazil. According to the clinical experience of the early homeopaths, Opium was used to treat patients with alcohol dependence. Aim: to perform a preliminary assessment of the effectiveness and tolerability of fifty-millesimal potencies of Opium in the treatment of alcohol-dependent patients. Methods: exploratory, prospective, open-label trial, with pre-treatment measures as control. Confidence intervals were used to estimate the magnitude of the clinical differences. Results: a total of 14 patients were included, from which 12 were evaluated (intention to treat analysis -ITT). There was a significant reduction in the average daily alcohol consumption (-29.37 units of alcohol/day; 95% CI=10.63; 48.11) and in the severity of alcohol dependence, measured by the mean score of the Short Alcohol Dependence Data questionnaire 95% CI= 4.12; 16.22). No serious adverse events were reported. Randomized controlled studies with larger samples are needed

The homeopathic medicine in health services

O presente trabalho teve por objetivo estudar e descrever experiências de fornecimento de medicamento em serviços de saúde para subsidiar formulações de políticas, contornando possíveis dificuldades que possam prejudicar a implantação ou a manutenção do atendimento médico homeopático nestes serviços, e fornecer elementos para incrementar a implantação da Homeopatia, por meio de propostas para o medicamento, que tornem mais fácil e possível o desenvolvimento dos programas. Foi desenvolvido um estudo piloto, que mostrou uma grande diversidade nas prescrições. A seguir, foram selecionados outros serviços, com características diversas, e estudada a frequência e apresentação dos medicamentos homeopáticos, através de visitas, entrevistas, cópias de prescrições e análise de fichas clínicas. Discutiu-se o enquadramento da Homeopatia quanto aos requisitos para inclusão em lista de medicamentos essenciais, assim como pontos dificultadores de sua implementação. Concluiu-se que: a Homeopatia preenche os critérios necessários para sua adoção pelo sistema público; o fornecimento do medicamento homeopático deve ocorrer, financiado pelo custeio coletivo, através de estoque de medicamentos, farmácia estabelecida no local do atendimento médico ou ainda conveniada, próxima ao serviço; é possível montar uma relação básica com um número limitado de medicamentos, com potência, escala, forma farmacêutica e posologia definidos, para atendimento de diversas patologias, inclusive crônicas; dados disponíveis através de fichas clínicas bem elaboradas são ferramenta importante para a pesquisa; a comprovação de eficácia clínica deve ser melhorada.The aim of this study is to investigate and describe experiments of medicine supplying in health care services, as well as to offer elements for the formulation of relevant policies. These should (i) prevent possible difficulties that may harm the setting up or maintenance of homeopathic medical care in health services, and (ii) provide elements to increase the development of Homeopathy, by offering easier and more effective proposals for the use of medicine. A test study was developed, showing a wide diversity of prescriptions. Other services, with distinct characteristics, were selected. The frequency and presentation of homeopathic medicines was studied, through visits, interviews, copies of prescriptions and analysis of clinical files. The suitability of Homeopathy to the requirements of inclusion in an essential remedy list was discussed, as the issues that hinder this development. This study concludes that: (i) Homeopathy meets the necessary standards for its adoption by the public health system, (ii) the supplying of homeopathic remedies should occur, financed by the health care\'s \"collective cost\" scheme, through stocks, establishment of local pharmacies, or settled by convention near to the health service concerned, (iii) it is possible to determine a basic relation of a limited number of medicines, with defined potency, scales, pharmaceutical form and posology to address several pathologies, including chronic ones, (iv) available information coming from well elaborated clinical files is an important tool for research, and (v) the verification of clinical efficacy must be improved