Homeopathic products endorsed by pharmacists in Italy

A new study of pharmacists experienced in homeopathy confirms that there remained a consistent demand for homeopathic products in pharmacies in Italy during the pandemic and that the vast majority of these pharmacists remain committed to and supportive of homeopathy – over 90% of pharmacists will continue to recommend homeopathic medicinal products as much as or more than they did before the pandemic.

The main reasons they give for recommending homeopathic products to their customers are ‘quality and absence of side effects’ (62%) and ‘efficacy’ (21%), followed by the fact the products are natural (14.5%). Over 80% recommend these products to both prevent and treat illness.

Seven out of ten of the pharmacists surveyed stated that they were satisfied or very satisfied in recommending a homeopathic product. More than three in four had recommended as many or more homeopathic products during the pandemic as before the pandemic – and this finding aligns with the finding of the EMG Acqua survey that 88% patients use the products as much as or more than they did before. Over 60% of pharmacists reported having recommended homeopathic products to more than 10% or more than 30% of their clientele; over half state that more than 10% or more than 30% of their clients spontaneously request a homeopathic product over a traditional one, and six out of ten reported that they had received at least as many as and often more spontaneous requests from their customers for homeopathic products during the pandemic than during the pre-pandemic period.

70% of pharmacists would like more training in homeopathy.

The study, ‘L’Omeopatia in Italia – Analisi dell’andamento del comparto omeopatico pre, durante e post-pandemia nelle farmacie italiane (Homeopathy in Italy – Analysis of pre-, during and post-pandemic homeopathic sector performance in Italian pharmacies) was commissioned by Italian trade association, Omeoimprese. The results were drawn from 200 structured interviews with a representative sample of Italian pharmacies who regularly handle homeopathic products and were analysed by the University of Pavia. Interviews were conducted in June and July 2022.