Canadians Speak Out Against Anti-Homeopathy Lawsuit

In April an organization called Center for Inquiry filed a class-action lawsuit against the homeopathic remedy company Boiron and the retailer Shoppers Drug Mart for selling one of Boiron’s staple products, a flu remedy called Oscillococcinum. 

The $30 million lawsuit has struck a nerve in the natural health community, as well as among the many Canadian homeopathic consumers who have been using Boiron’s products, and other homeopathic remedies, for years. The group Canadian Consumers Centre for Homeopathy (3CH) has launched a campaign aimed at keeping products such as Oscillococcinum on the shelves, and protecting consumers’ right to choose.

The 3CH is “Canada’s grassroots, consumer-oriented organization dedicated to ensuring patient access to homeopathy from coast to coast.” Their work includes providing Canadian consumers with information about homeopathy and advocating for homeopathy and the freedom to choose homeopathic remedies.

What can you do?
If you, like many Canadians, wish to show your support for Boiron and homeopathic remedies, sign the online petition, created by the 3CH. At the time this blog post was written, 1,625 signatures have been added to the petition, and the goal is 5,000.

About homeopathic remedies
Homeopathy is a system of medicine that was developed hundreds of years ago. It is based on a principle called the Law of Similars, which expresses that a disease can be cured by a substance that produces similar symptoms in a healthy person. It is intended to stimulate a person’s inner healing mechanisms, allowing the body to heal itself.

Homeopathic remedies are made from natural substances that have been diluted and shaken. Today there are many homeopathic remedies and combinations available at natural health retailers for a wide variety of symptoms and conditions.

For advice for how to talk to your health care practitioner about homeopathic remedies and other complementary and alternative (CAM) treatments, check out our recent article “Bridging the Divide.”