Evidence map›Paper›PMID 16796701›Full record

ArticleBritish journal of clinical pharmacology2006

Homoeopathic and herbal prescribing in general practice in Scotland.

Sarah Ross, Colin R Simpson, James S McLay

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in British journal of clinical pharmacology, 2006. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. What affects anticoagulation control in patients taking warfarin?The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2009
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Sensitivity: real (interferons, odorants) and imagined (homeopathy).British journal of clinical pharmacology · 2008
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Scottish GPs use of homeopathy.British journal of clinical pharmacology · 2007
    Article
  10. Article
  11. Balanced prescribing.British journal of clinical pharmacology · 2006
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Sarah RossDepartment of Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK. s.ross@abdn.ac.uk
Colin R Simpson
James S McLay

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsTo investigate the current levels of homoeopathic and herbal prescribing in Scottish general practice.

methodsPrescribing of homoeopathic and herbal remedies in primary care was assessed in 1891 669 patients for the year 2003-2004, using computerized prescribing data retrieved from 323 general practices in Scotland.

resultsForty-nine percent of practices prescribed homoeopathic and 32% herbal remedies. A total of 193 homoeopathic and 17 herbal remedies were prescribed, with 5% of practices accounting for 46% of patients and 50% of remedies. Four thousand one hundred and sixty patients (2.2/1000 registered patients) were prescribed at least one homoeopathic remedy during the study period, with the highest prevalence to children under 12 months of age (9.5/1000 children of that age). Children under the age of 16 made up 16% of the population prescribed homoeopathic remedies (2.2/1000 registered patients of that age). Three hundred and sixty-one patients (0.2/1000 registered patients) were prescribed at least one herbal remedy during the study period, 44 of whom were children < 16 years old. Patients prescribed a homoeopathic or herbal remedy were also prescribed a median of four and five conventional medicines, respectively. Of patients prescribed an oral herbal remedy, 4% were also concomitantly prescribed a conventional medicine with which a drug-herb interaction has been documented.

conclusionsOur study reports that a substantial number of Scottish general practitioners prescribe homoeopathic and herbal remedies, with an approximate doubling in the number of children prescribed homoeopathic remedies. The level of homoeopathic and herbal prescribing raises questions about homoeopathic/herbal provision in the National Health Service and should prompt critical review.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultAgedChildChild, PreschoolDrug PrescriptionsFamily PracticeFemaleHerbal MedicineHerb-Drug InteractionsHomeopathyHumansInfantInfant, NewbornMaleMiddle AgedPlant Preparations

Identifiers

PMID16796701
PMCPMC1885188

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.