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Which is the best homeopathic medicine company in Germany?

Willmar Schwabe is the prominent name when it comes to the world of homeopathy.

Which is the No 1 homeopathic company in the world?

Hero-Background For 40 years, Boiron USA has shared its passion for holistic, sustainable health by providing high-quality homeopathic products for every stage of life.

Which country is best in homeopathy?

A level of integration that varies from country to country – In countries where it is well positioned within the care pathway, homeopathy is treated differently in terms of its management and coverage by the health insurance system. In Finland, when homeopathy is practised by an allopathic doctor, it can be covered by the social insurance system.

In Germany, the birthplace of homeopathy, this treatment is still very popular with patients and is recognised by the authorities. Two types of therapists are allowed to practice the discipline: homeopaths with degree qualifications and homeopathic doctors. In 2019, German Minister of Health Jens Spahn (CDU) definitively voted in favour of the reimbursement of homeopathic medicines by insurance schemes.

Homeopathic care is reimbursed by both the German public and private health system, and practitioners also benefit from public and private funding for homeopathic doctors and exclusively private funding for non-doctor homeopaths (Heilpraktiker). Switzerland, the first country in Europe to integrate homeopathy into the healthcare system, included this therapy in its Constitution in 2009.

Who is the most famous homeopathic doctor?

Updated on: 23 June,2022 08:33 PM IST | Mumbai BrandMedia Homeopathy is an age-old form of holistic medicine, yet there are numerous misconceptions about it. Dr. Bhasker Sharma’s mission in life is to spread the word about homeopathic medicine and dispel myths related to it. He is a world-renowned homeopathic physician who has continuously been honored with numerous awards due to his unfailing commitment and dedication.

• ADVERTISEMENT Homeopathy is a 200-year-old alternative medicine practice that purports to promote a healing response and increase the body’s ability to heal itself.
• Those who practice it claim it is a holistic medical approach founded on the notion of treating “like with like.” Holistic medicine is a catch-all word for a multitude of therapies that aim to treat the patient as a whole person.

In other words, rather than treating an ailment as traditional Western medicine would, holistic medicine considers an individual’s total physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional well-being before proposing treatment. Homeopathy is a type of holistic medicine in that it considers the entire person when selecting a homeopathic remedy.

It is one of six medical systems used in India known as AYUSH, which stands for Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy. But, apart from India, homeopathy is practiced in a few neighboring Asian nations, with exceedingly rare instances in numerous developed countries. The reason for this is that there are numerous common misunderstandings regarding homeopathy.

Meet Dr. Bhasker Sharma, a man on a mission to spread the word about homeopathy and promote a healthy community through this form of holistic medicine. Dr. Sharma, who is from Siddharthnagar, Uttar Pradesh, where Gautam Buddha was born, also works hard to eradicate misconceptions related to homeopathic treatment.

1. Dr. Sharma has set over 30 dozen world records and received over 58 dozen international and national honors in India and overseas.
2. He has also published over a dozen medical and literary works.
3. The Largest Homoeopathy Lesson is a significant feat that was accomplished at an event organized by Dr.
4. Sharma on August 21, 2018, in Rajkot, Gujarat.

For achieving the feat, he was bestowed with the Guinness World Record. Dr. Bhasker Sharma was also recognized as a Covid-19 warrior by the White House in 2020 for his contributions to public health during the epidemic. Dr. Sharma was honored for trying to make the general public aware of the Coronavirus, teaching them about the disease and its prevention.

• Former President of the United States, Donald Trump, presented Dr.
• Bhasker Sharma with two awards: the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award and the Presidential Youth Fitness Award.
• Apart from that, Dr.
• Sharma’s achievement in homeopathy has been recognized internationally.
• He holds several international records, has published numerous research papers, and has received numerous prestigious international awards, which include the Dr.

Samuel Hahnemann International Award London; Senior Homeopathic International Award Singapore; Dr. Ellen International Award Thailand; Dr. Kent International Award Malaysia; Global Auction Personality of Homeopathy Dubai; Homeopathy Gem (Shiromani) International Award Muscat; Star of Homeopathy Award London; Global Environment Award Philippines; Literature Gem (Sahitya Ratna) Award Canada, Best Homeopathy Award Nigeria; Global Icon Personality Award Africa; International Peace Award Indonesia; Doctorate Award Algeria; Homeo Bhushan Kathmandu; Homeopathy Shri Goa; Homeopathy Ratna; and Chikitsa Ratna.

Dr. Bhasker Sharma has also been working to share his expert knowledge about homeopathy with others. He is the author of more than 200 books on literature and homeopathy. Dr. Sharma has also contributed to various national and international universities, where he has documented several inventions. He is committed to using these new insights to enhance the approach to homeopathic treatment.

Dr. Sharma was recently honored with the Everest Achievement Outstanding Award. Dr. Mathura Shrestha, Director of Record Book, presented him with this world record certificate on June 18, 2022, in Kathmandu. The Director of Everest World Records Kathmandu Nepal remarked while presenting the award to Dr.

• Sharma: “Dr.
• Sharma is another name in homeopathy who is constantly doing fantastic job for the dissemination and growth of homeopathy. Dr.
• Sharma is currently regarded as the foremost authority on homeopathy, not only in India but throughout the world.
• The efforts will undoubtedly be helpful in making the entire globe society healthy.” Dr.

Bhasker Sharma has set certain objectives that he wants to achieve in his career as a homeopath. Speaking on those objectives, Dr. Sharma says, “I want to perform up to the best using my professional abilities, knowledge & experience to update my currents which skills where I can have good scope for learning new experience which in turn would help me for the growth & success of organization in the field of Homoeopathy.

What is the highest paid homeopathic doctor?

Highest salary that a Homeopathic Doctor can earn is ₹5.2 Lakhs per year (₹43.3k per month). How does Homeopathic Doctor Salary in Bengaluru/Bangalore change with experience? An Entry Level Homeopathic Doctor with less than three years of experience earns an average salary of ₹3 Lakhs per year in Bengaluru/Bangalore.

Which country made homeopathy?

HOMEOPATHY – While it can scarcely compare in antiquity with Chinese or Indian medicine, homeopathy is the longest established CAM to have arisen in Europe.7 It was founded by Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), who grew up in Meissen in Germany, received his medical degree in Erlangen in 1779, and died a millionaire in Paris in 1843.

During his first fifteen years as a physician Hahnemann struggled desperately to make a living. One day, however, he made a discovery. He started to take regular doses of cinchona or ‘the bark’ (i.e. quinine). This, he said, produced all the symptoms of intermittent fever (malaria) but to a mild degree and without the characteristic rigors of that disease.

This led Hahnemann to an idea which was published in 1796 as Essay on a New Principle for Ascertaining the Curative Power of Drugs, which was followed in 1810 by his famous work The Organon of the Healing Art,1 Hahnemann believed that if a patient had an illness, it could be cured by giving a medicine which, if given to a healthy person, would produce similar symptoms of that same illness but to a slighter degree.

• Thus, if a patient was suffering from severe nausea, he was given a medicine which in a healthy person would provoke mild nausea.
• By a process he called ‘proving’, Hahnemann claimed to be able to compile a selection of appropriate remedies.
• This led to his famous aphorism, ‘like cures like’, which is often called the ‘principle of similars’; and he cited Jenner’s use of cowpox vaccination to prevent smallpox as an example.

The differences between orthodox medicine and homeopathy could hardly be more vivid. From its beginning homeopathy always began with a long consultation, lasting at least an hour, in which all aspects of the patient’s illness and life were discussed—homeopaths like to stress that they practise ‘holistic medicine’—and the appropriate treatment chosen.

In contrast, during the first half of the nineteenth century, when homeopathy was becoming established, orthodox medicine was immersed in the belief that advances in understanding disease could only come from a detailed correlation of symptoms and signs of the sick patient on the ward, and the findings at autopsy: clinico-pathological correlation.

As Bichat famously put it put it at the very end of the eighteenth century: ‘For twenty years from morning to night you have taken notes at patients’ bedsides. which, refusing to yield up their meaning, offer you a succession of incoherent phenomena.

Open up a few corpses: you will dissipate at once the darkness that observation alone could not dispel.’ 8 Clinico-pathological correlation demanded the understanding of a very long and complex collection of diseases accompanied by heated debates between the contagionists and the anti-contagionists.

This was way beyond the comprehension of the general public. Moreover, medical treatment was to a large extent crude and ineffective, consisting largely of potentially dangerous polypharmacy, purging, and profuse blood-letting. Hahnemann showed no interest in detailed pathology, and none in conventional diagnosis and treatment.

• He was only interested in the principles of homeopathic medicine which he used to name the illness.2 Classical homeopathy was therefore seen by its supporters as an attractively safe system, simple, easy to understand, and centred on the patient as a whole and not on pathological lesions.
• This goes a long way to explain why homeopathy was popular.9 But there was one aspect of homeopathy which, from the time it was first announced in about 1814, led to open warfare between orthodox medicine and homeopathy.

This was the result of Hahnemann’s belief that drugs should be given in a dose which only just produced the slightest symptoms of the disease which was being treated. To achieve this aim, Hahnemann diluted his medical preparations to such an astonishing extent that if one assumes that that the substance he employed was completely soluble, by only the fourth dilution the ratio of the medicine to the solution would be 1:100 000 000.

The physician and poet Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809-1894) in the USA, always a master of ridicule, said that Hahnemann’s dilution would take ‘the waters of ten thousand Adriatic seas.’ 1 But Hahnemann insisted that homeopathic medicines retained their therapeutic power provided you shook the preparation violently during the process of dilution—a process Hahnemann named as ‘potentization’ by which every homeopathic medicine not only retained or even increased its therapeutic power, but persisted as a ‘dematerialized spiritual force’.

To orthodox practitioners this was sheer nonsense.10 Hahnemann claimed that by his methods he could cure all or nearly all acute diseases. To make matters worse, he announced in 1828 that all, or nearly all, chronic diseases were caused by ‘the itch’ (scabies).

Whereas Hahnemann claimed that homeopathy could cure all or virtually all diseases, his followers modified these claims in the hope of becoming accepted by orthodox medical practitioners. One of the first institutions devoted to homeopathy was the American Institute of Homeopathy, founded at the end of the nineteenth century, when it seems that ‘a rapprochement between homeopaths and conventional physicians gradually unfolded.

Homeopaths adopted new orthodox treatments. while allopaths borrowed homeopathic remedies. In 1903, after long antagonism, the American Medical Association. invited homeopaths to join,’ 9 The Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1939 in the USA allowed homeopathic medicines to be sold openly on the market.

• Five homeopathic hospitals were founded in Britain, the two largest (in London and Glasgow) having in-patient units.
• Today the ten most common diseases treated by homeopaths are (in order of frequency) asthma, depression, otitis media, allergic rhinitis (hay fever), headache and migraine, neurotic disorders, non-specific allergy, dermatitis, arthritis and hypertension.

There seems little doubt there has been a remarkable revival of homeopathy since the 1960s and 1970s in many countries, but especially the USA where, in 2002, it was estimated that the number of patients using homeopathic remedies had risen by 500% in the previous seven years, mostly by purchasing over-the-counter remedies.

In the USA patients seen by homeopaths tended to be more affluent, more frequently white, present more subjective symptoms, and to be younger than patients seen by conventional physicians.9 In Britain a survey by the BBC in 1999 found that 17% of 1204 randomly selected adults had used homeopathy within the past year (this includes homeopathic remedies bought over the counter) and another survey in 1998 estimated that there were 470 000 recent users of homeopathy in the UK.

It is likely that most patients in the UK who use complementary medicine are largely middle class and middle aged.11 One of the well known features of homeopathy is that from the nineteenth century to today it has been firmly supported by royalty and the aristocracy.

Is Dr Reckeweg a German company?

Welcome to Dr. Reckeweg – The family business Dr. Reckeweg is committed to producing effective and well-tolerated homoeopathic medicinal products in a responsible way – and has been ever since its birth 75 years ago. Although Dr. Reckeweg preparations are sold in more than 40 countries worldwide, each one is made in Bensheim, a small town in Germany’s Hessische Bergstraße region.

How popular is homeopathy in Europe?

Homeopathy in Europe: used, appreciated and well-known As World Homeopathy Awareness Week 2023 gets underway, recent market data from Germany, France, Spain and Italy confirm that homeopathy continues to be well known, used and appreciated by a majority of Europeans.

1. The week starts with World Homeopathy Awareness Day on 10 April, to mark the birthday of Samual Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy, and continues till 16 April.
2. Its aim is to increase public awareness of the benefits of homeopathy.
3. In Europe, awareness of homeopathy remains high and the use of homeopathic medicines is widespread – 79% of French, 60% of Germans, 57% of Italians and 47% of Spanish have used homeopathic medicines in their lifetime.

Satisfaction with this treatment is also high – 90% of German users find homeopathic medicines completely or partly effective, 84% of Spanish users and 81% of Italians declare themselves to be satisfied with the treatment and in France, 73% of those who know about it have confidence in this therapeutic approach.

The majority of the population in these four countries perceive homeopathy as complementary to conventional medicine and believe it should be prescribed or made available alongside it – in Germany two thirds of the population (three quarters of women) believe that homeopathic medicinal products should continue to be sold alongside conventional medicinal products.84% of Italians and 80% of Spanish believe that homeopathy should to be recommended by health professionals, while in France 83% think that doctors should be able to prescribe homeopathy alongside conventional medicines.

This interest in and support for homeopathy in Europe reflects the trend for patients to become increasingly interested in their own health. Health literacy has accelerated greatly since the Covid pandemic and patients are taking an active role in their own care, exploring health in all its forms.

• They want to participate in the decision-making process and make informed decisions.
• We know from years of experience and previous studies that those who use these medicinal products do so consciously and by choice.
• They tend to have higher levels of education.
• They are eager to find partners in their healthcare practitioners to enable them to access the best information and manage their health in a holistic way.

They would like these products to be prescribed more frequently alongside conventional medicine. During World Homeopathy Awareness Week, ECHAMP confirms its commitment to ensure sufficient availability of these medicines for those who use them, so that European patients can continue to access pluralism in health care.

Is homeopathy really works?

When homeopathy is used – Homeopathy is used for an extremely wide range of health conditions. Many practitioners believe that homeopathy can help with any condition. Some of the most common conditions that people seek homeopathic treatment for are:

asthma ear infections hay fever mental health conditions, such as depression, stress and anxiety allergies, such as food allergies dermatitis (an allergic skin condition) arthritis high blood pressure

There is no good-quality evidence that homeopathy is an effective treatment for these or any other health conditions. Some practitioners also claim that homeopathy can prevent malaria or other diseases. There is no evidence to support this and no scientifically plausible way that homeopathy can prevent diseases.

Is homeopathy accepted in Europe?

How to establish a Homoeopathic practice in European countries Dr Mansoor Ali Professor, Govt Homoeopathy Medical College Calicut, India Homeopathy is practised in all most all European countries. The regulatory status in Europe varies from country to country. Medical doctors with additional qualifications in homeopathy are able to practise in all countries.

• Many European countries for practising any system of medicine may require the basic qualification as of MBBS – they are often called Medical doctor. But many European countries allow Graduates and Postgraduates in Homoeopathy to practice
• Homeopathy is practiced in 39 countries
• It is legal to practice as a professional homeopath in 25 out of 39 countries : Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.
• Remaining 14 countries it is only legal to practice if you are a medical doctor.
• Regulation by national law Homeopathic medicine as a distinct system of medicine is recognised by law in Belgium (1999), Bulgaria (2005), Germany (1998), Hungary (1997), Latvia (1997), Portugal (2003), Romania (1981), Slovenia (2007) and the United Kingdom (1950).
• The laws in Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia, Romania and Slovenia explicitly allow the practice of homeopathic medicine to medical doctors only.
• In Belgium and Portugal the law does not exclude non-medical practitioners, but has not yet been implemented.
• In Slovenia, although the law permits medical doctors to practise homeopathic medicine, the medical association withdraws doctors’ licenses if they actually practise it.
• In Latvia the medical council/chamber has recognised homeopathic medicine as a medical specialty.
• The national medical associations in France and Italy have recognised homeopathic medicine as a distinctive system of medicine and called on the government to provide the necessary legislation.
• in Austria, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Switzerland – the government has delegated the tasks of authorisation, registration and supervision of medical practitioners to the national medical associations

Homeopathy universities Familiarisation courses about homeopathic medicine are provided in the medical undergraduate curriculum as a part of a course on Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Hungary (one university), Italy and the Netherlands; as a separate subject in Bulgaria, Germany and Romania.

1. Postgraduate training courses in homeopathic medicine for doctors are provided at universities in Bulgaria, France, Italy, Lithuania and Spain, in other countries at private teaching centres.
2. Homeopathic medicine is an official part of the Continuous Education Programme for doctors in Hungary and Romania.
3. A professorial chair of CAM including homeopathic medicine exists in Hungary (Pécs) and Switzerland (Bern).
4. Major Organisations European Committee of Homoeopathy (ECH) represents all medical doctors with an additional qualification in homeopathy, organised in:

• 40 associations
• 25 European countries

European Central Council of Homeopaths (ECCH) A European Council whose membership is made up of established associations of professional homeopaths existing within individual countries.

• 25 member associations of homeopaths from
• 23 European countries.

Insurance coverage In some areas of the United Kingdom homeopathic treatment by doctors is covered by the National Health System. In Belgium and Latvia the fees for homeopathic treatment are partially covered by the statutory health insurance. In Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom by private insurance companies.

• The costs for homeopathic medicines are covered by the statutory health insurance in Belgium (partially), France (partially), Portugal (only magistral formula) and Switzerland, by additional private insurance companies in Belgium, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
• Possibilities for BHMS graduates It is not so easy to practice homeopathy in Europe with BHMS.1.

Try to get permission from their local medical council by sending an application with the curriculum with the total hours of study (Theory & practical) of each subject and experience etc,. They may give a chance to update the hours in each subject if you are fortunate.

• After that, you will get an equalization of your degree with that of the medical degree.2.
• Possibility to practice as a complementary therapist.
• Also for this, you should get permission from the local health authority.
• Fluency of local language is a must in both cases.
• Scope of Homoeopathy in Germany BHMS is not an acceptable qualification in Germany.

You need to be a medical physician or a registered naturopath. In both cases, it is necessary to speak German language. Becoming a naturopath requires to take the corresponding examination. About 700 homoeopaths are practising, two Associations & 5Pharmacies are there in Germany As the necessary steps keep on changing due to adjustments of common European laws between European countries, the regulations change.

Is homeopathy regulated in Europe?

Regulation – Homeopathic remedies in Europe are regulated by EU Directive 2001/83/EC, which regulates all medicinal products. It requires member states to have: “a special simplified registration procedure” for homeopathic products which requires companies marketing them to show they comply with manufacturing standards, but which does not require them to show efficacy so long as “no specific therapeutic indication appears on the labelling of the medicinal product”.

What is the highest paid homeopathic doctor in India?

Highest salary that a Homeopathic Doctor can earn is ₹6.5 Lakhs per year (₹54.2k per month).

What celebrities are on homoeopathy?

Paul McCartney, David Beckham, Twiggy, Roger Daltrey, Caprice, Susan Hampshire, Tina Turner, Louise Jameson, Gaby Roslin, Jude Law, Sadie Frost, Nadia Sawalha, Richard Branson, Debra Stephenson, and Meera Syal, as well as The Queen, are all users of homeopathy.

Is homeopathy medicine safe?

Is homeopathy safe? – Homeopathic remedies are generally safe, and the risk of a serious adverse side effect arising from taking these remedies is thought to be small. Some homeopathic remedies may contain substances that aren’t safe or interfere with the action of other medicines.

Do homeopaths make money?

Salary – Most homeopaths are self-employed so your income will depend on factors such as the price you charge per hour, the number of patients you attract and your running costs and overheads.

You’re likely to charge around £30 to £125 for an initial consultation, with the cost of any treatments you provide on top of this. Follow-up sessions are typically half the cost as they’re shorter. The amount you’re able to charge will depend on your experience and reputation. Location will also be a factor, with fees being higher in London.Your income on starting out may be very low due to the initial costs of setting up a business and your limited client base. Some homeopaths have a second job alongside their clinical work to supplement their income until their practice is fully established.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

How much a homeopathic Doctor earn in India?

What is the salary of a homeopathy Doctor in India? Homeopathic Doctor salary in India ranges between ₹ 0.4 Lakhs to ₹ 7.6 Lakhs with an average annual salary of ₹ 3.5 Lakhs.

What is the salary of a government homeopathic Doctor in India?

The average salary for BHMS (Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery) doctors in India is around ₹ 3.4 Lakhs per year.

Which is the German company for homeopathic medicine?

In ternational Contacts – Due to the growing interest in homeopathy worldwide, we are now strongly positioned internationally. With our country representatives, we distribute a wide range of products from Dr. Reckeweg – preparations Made in Germany – in over 40 countries. AUSTRALIA CANADA NEW ZEALAND MEXICO GUATEMALA COLOMBIA ECUADOR CHILE SWEDEN AUSTRIA FINLAND NORWAY INDIA WEST AFRICA BANGLADESH MALAYSIA PAKISTAN PORTUGAL GREAT BRITAIN SWITZERLAND TAIWAN SPAIN BELGIUM ITALY EL SALVADOR UNITED ARAB EMIRATES NETHERLANDS ISRAEL DENMARK IRELAND

Is homeopathy recognized in Germany?

Germany – In Germany, the legislation for homeopathic remedies follows European Union (EU) regulations. Homeopathic remedies are subject to registration, but they need not be tested. However, homeopathic remedies that are less diluted than D4, or for which a danger of adverse effects exists, cannot be registered under this rule.

They can be sold over-the-counter in pharmacies. Germany is the only member state of the EU in which homeopathic remedies based on minerals or plants, and produced only in very low quantities, do not need to be registered. In other member states only remedies individually prepared in a pharmacy are exempt.

In 2017, homeopathic remedies accounted for 2.74% of sold units in the pharmaceutical sector (0.90% of business volume); 0.14% of prescriptions covered by public health insurance were for homeopathic remedies. A 2008 telephone survey of German adults found that 11.5% had used homeopathy.

Is homeopathy valid in Germany?

In 1978 the German parliament, under pressure from industry lobbyists, exempted homeopathic remedies from the barrage of tests required to approve drugs for medical use. If, the act states, homeopathic doctors claim that remedies work, that alone is proof of their efficacy under German law.

Is Willmar Schwabe a German company?

Editor’s note: This is the second article in a series on legacy herbal businesses that have been operating for more than 100 years. In 1866, just three years after receiving his doctorate in pharmaceutics, Willmar Schwabe founded the company that still bears his name.

At the time, the world was experiencing significant scientific advancements, including the use of early anesthetics such as ether and chloroform, and the development of aspirin, based on a synthetic chemical modeled after salicin, originally derived from the bark of the white willow tree ( Salix alba, Saliaceae).1,2 Almost a century and a half later, Dr.

Willmar Schwabe Pharmaceuticals has become an industry leader in natural pharmaceutical research and development, and is generally acknowledged as the leading manufacturer of phytomedicines worldwide.3 A little over a decade after Dr. Willmar Schwabe Pharmaceuticals was founded, the company launched its first phytomedicinal product, Schwabe’s hamamelis ointment, a witch hazel ( Hamamelis virginiana, Hamamelidaceae)-based hemorrhoid cream.

• In 1917, Dr.
• Schwabe’s son, Willmar Schwabe II, inherited the company.
• Today, Schwabe Pharmaceuticals maintains its status as an independent, family-owned business and is currently in its fifth generation.3 “Schwabe always has been a family-owned company,” said Uta Hülsermann, PhD, Schwabe’s official spokesperson (email, January 10, 2013).

“There have been three Willmar Schwabes over the generations.” One of the original Willmar Schwabe’s most significant contributions to herbal medicine was the 1872 publication of Pharmacopoeia Homeopathica Polyglotta, a homeopathic pharmaceutical reference guide that has largely withstood the test of time.

“Dr. Willmar Schwabe’s Pharmacopoeia Homeopathica Polyglotta received a lot of attention in its time because up to then, existed a multitude of different Pharmacopoeiae and this publication was regarded as standard publication that finally ‘cleared the mess,'” said Dr. Hülsermann (email, February 6, 2013).

By 1872, it had been published in English, German, and French, and it remains an indispensable reference in all German pharmacies, she added. Today, the company has expanded far beyond its original roots in Leipzig, Germany. Dr. Willmar Schwabe Pharmaceuticals, now headquartered in Karlsruhe, Germany, has more than 20 subsidiaries and joint ventures around the world, employing more than 3,500 people on five continents and in more than 60 countries.4 Schwabe North America, which operates in the United States and Canada, comprises the well-known brands Nature’s Way ®, Enzymatic Therapy ®, and Integrative Therapeutics ®,4 Michael Devereux, chief executive officer of Schwabe North America, said it was Schwabe’s commitment to improving the lives of individuals through natural products that led him to the company.

• What truly attracted me, though, was the mission of the business, and frankly of the industry, which is to focus on products and solutions tied into people improving their health and wellness,” said Devereux (email, February 14, 2013).
• Natural products that have existed from decades of studies on ingredients for safety and efficacy seems to me to be a great way to start on the path to improving your health, before introducing something that is not natural.

They are a first-line solution.” A History of Evidence-Based Natural Medicine The success of Schwabe’s global operations stems from a commitment to values put forth by Dr. Willmar Schwabe: reliability, innovation, quality, and responsibility.3 “He already was dedicated to prove scientifically the efficacy of the plant extracts and to set quality standards for the extraction and production process,” Dr.

Hülsermann explained. “As a global leader in natural health, Schwabe strives to enhance the quality of life through innovative, safe, and efficacious products.” Schwabe’s products are tested extensively for efficacy and safety in scientific studies and clinical trials. In total, Schwabe holds more than 800 registrations worldwide for its phytomedicines, most of which focus on four key therapeutic areas, including the central nervous and cardiovascular systems, as well as urological and respiratory conditions.

The company’s research division is responsible for numerous processes, from screening new plants for potential medicinal activity to conducting clinical trials of finished products.3 “Schwabe’s clinical research on phytomedicines has significantly contributed to the acceptance of science-based phytotherapy in the medical community,” the company states on its website.

“Looking back on the long in-house tradition of such studies, Schwabe Pharmaceuticals may be regarded as the inventor of evidence-based phytomedicine. Our dedication to proving the efficacy and safety of our phytomedicines through rigid pharmacological and clinical studies is unique.” In 2008, Schwabe was awarded the American Botanical Council’s inaugural Varro E.

Tyler Commercial Investment in Phytomedicinal Research Award. According to an HerbalEGram article about the award, “Many of the scientific methods and techniques developed and used by Schwabe during the past century have had a significant influence on today’s pharmaceutical and biochemical research.” One of the scientific methods Dr.

Willmar Schwabe developed for quality control was capillary analysis, a technique used to separate the components of a substance into its various phases using special absorbent paper. “Nowadays, this technique is obsolete, but was the basis for modern techniques, as for example, capillary electrophoresis or gas chromatography,” said Dr.

Hülsermann (email, March 28, 2013). “Those techniques are widely used in research, development, quality control and all other fields of analytics. Gas chromatography is used in our company as well.” Of all of Schwabe’s products, the most-recognized is formulated from the ancient Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgoaceae) tree.

“The most important and most popular product of Schwabe is EGb 761®, a special Ginkgo biloba extract,” said Dr. Hülsermann. “EGb 761 ® is marketed worldwide in more than 60 countries. Depending on the market, it is used in the therapy of cognitive disorders such as dementia and cognitive impairment, vertigo and tinnitus, and PAOD (peripheral arterial occlusive disease).” Other key Schwabe products include Prostagutt®, a saw palmetto berry extract product used in benign prostate hyperplasia therapy; Prostagutt® forte, a combination of saw palmetto extract and nettle (Urtica dioica, Urticaceae) root extract; Venoplant®, a horse chestnut seed extract used in chronic venous insufficiency; and the latest development, Lasea®, a lavender flower essential oil-based product for subsyndromal anxiety disorder.

The importance of phytomedicines for consumers is a driving factor for Schwabe’s continued research and development of new plant-based medicines. “In many cases, phytomedicines offer an additional therapeutic alternative in the treatment of patients,” said Dr.

Hülsermann. “With phytomedication, compliance is often better since side-effects and drug-to-drug interactions occur in cases and are generally less serious than with synthetic agents.” Commitment to Quality and Sustainability In addition to its focus on research, Schwabe controls virtually every other aspect of the development of its phytomedicines, from raw material production to pharmaceutical-grade manufacturing, as well as marketing and sales.4 “Schwabe ‘owns’ the production process of many of its phytomedicines from the cultivation to the harvesting of the plants and the whole production cycle,” Dr.

Hülsermann explained. Currently, the company has plantations in Europe, South Africa, and the United States, where plants are grown under controlled conditions that follow Good Agricultural Practice guidelines. To ensure maximum potency, Schwabe monitors the levels of plants’ key active constituents throughout the growing season in order to harvest at the ideal time.

“High-quality raw plant materials are mandatory for the production of our unique phytomedicines,” the website states. “Apart from the quality aspect, this also helps to avoid over-exploitation of wild populations of these medicinal plants and contributes to the conservation of biodiversity.” Schwabe’s environmental stewardship is a value that remains an integral component of the company’s operations.

“As a company with a strong tradition and dedication to research, cultivation, and sustaining nature’s valuable resources, we are still following our founding father’s philosophy,” said Dr. Hülsermann. “So the sustainability of plants and their growing and harvesting are of utmost importance for us and our current and future business.” While the sustainable production of ingredients is key to securing future supplies, ensuring that affordable products reach as many consumers as possible is equally as important.

An objective we all need to focus on within the herb and dietary supplement industry is to keep these products affordable and available wherever people are looking for them,” said Devereux of Schwabe North America. “Our strategy is developing to serve not just the 300 million people in America, but worldwide, so we are learning every day more about consumer wants and needs in countries all over the world and how to create affordable solutions that support those wants and needs.” Dirk Reischig, PhD, Schwabe’s chairman and CEO, explained how the company’s founding values will continue to sustain the 147-year-old company.3 “We believe that innovative phytomedicines will become increasingly important over the next few decades,” he stated.

“In the future, phytomedicines will help people, worldwide, to lead a sustainable, productive, and healthy life.” For a company that started with one man committed to harnessing and verifying the healing power of plants for consumer use, Schwabe’s motto is particularly appropriate: “From Nature.

Timeline of important dates and events in the development of anaesthesia. History of Anaethesia website. Available at: www.histansoc.org.uk/timeline.html, Accessed January 8, 2013. Willow bark. University of Maryland Medical School website. Available at: www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/willow-bark-000281.htm, Accessed January 9, 2013. About us. Dr. Willmar Schwabe Pharmaceuticals website. Available at: www.schwabepharma.com/international/about-us/index.php, Accessed January 4, 2013. A legacy of quality. Schwabe North America website. Available at: www.schwabenorthamerica.com/, Accessed January 4, 2013.