NHMRC Homeopathy Review - Complementary Medicines Australia

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Apr 6, 2017 - Did the review twice – in 2012 sacking a first reviewer who completed an assessment of the evidence; bur
Member Alert

World film premiere exposes Australian research controversy NHMRC Homeopathy Review Dear member, A new investigative film, ‘Just One Drop’, premiered in London last night (6 April 2017) exposing evidence of administrative short-comings and research manipulation relating to the National Health and Medical and Research Council (NHMRC) Homeopathy Review. The Australian Homoeopathic Association (AHA) has issued a media release, which members can access by clicking here

Background: On 11 March 2015, the NHMRC published its conclusion that “there is no reliable evidence that homeopathy is effective in treating health conditions.” This was despite around 50% of the peer-reviewed, randomised controlled trials (RCTs) into homeopathy that NHMRC considered reporting statistically positive outcomes, with only 5% being negative – the same proportion as seen in conventional research. The documentary, which will screen in Australia later this year, exposes information revealed through Freedom of Information documents that the NHMRC: 

Did the review twice – in 2012 sacking a first reviewer who completed an assessment of the evidence; burying the existence of their review, its findings and public expenditure blow out



Ignored feedback from its own expert reviewers, who informed NHMRC that, “no reliable evidence” was “not an accurate reflection of the body of evidence”



Misled the public by claiming the results were based on a “rigorous assessment of over 1800 papers” (2015 NHMRC media release), whereas the findings were based on only 176 studies, with the rest ignored altogether



‘Invented’ unprecedented and arbitrary rules never applied before or since by any research group (including NHMRC), that for a study to be ‘reliable’, it had to have BOTH more than 150 participants AND meet an unusually high 100% threshold for quality (noting NHMRC regularly funds and collaborates on trials with fewer than 150 participants).

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Did not report that these rules prevented the results of 171 out of these 176 studies from being considered (at all) in the Review’s findings – reducing the entire review to only 5 studies NHMRC considered ‘reliable’.



Did not disclose that these rules were developed and applied after the research protocol had been ‘finalised’ and the contractor (Optum) had already completed its evidence assessment.



Involved multiple undisclosed and unmanaged anti-homeopathy conflicts of interest, in breach of statutory conflicts of interest policies. For example, NHMRC appointed a member of the anti-homeopathy lobby group Friends of Science in Medicine (FSM) as the initial Chair of its working committee, as well as a research group containing undisclosed FSM supporters to assess public consultation evidence in 2014.



Did not appoint any homeopathy subject/ research experts on its working committee, in violation of accepted research protocols and mandatory NHMRC standards.

Investigation and Complaint to Commonwealth Ombudsman In late 2016, Complementary Medicines Australia (CMA), the Australian Homoeopathic Association (AHA) and the Australian Traditional Medicine Society (ATMS) lodged a joint Submission of Complaint to the Commonwealth Ombudsman concerning NHMRC’s conduct in executing the Homeopathy Review. The Complaint details procedural and methodological flaws, bias, conflicts of interest and inaccurate reporting. Members will be updated on the progress of this issue as it develops.

ENDS

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