[Omeo33] Art 0883 - Compl Ther Med, 2004, 12 (2-3), 112-117

[Gino Santini]

The use of simplified constitutional indications 
for self-prescription of homeopathic medicine
Aslak Steinsbekk, Niels Bentzena, Vinjar Fønnebø and George Lewith

Objectives - To develop simplified constitutional 
indications for homeopathic medicines so that 
parents of children with recurrent upper 
respiratory tract infection (URTI) could choose 
homeopathic medicines for their children more 
"accurately", and to subsequently evaluate if 
these choices match the prescriptions of trained 
homeopaths.
Design and setting - To initially select the most 
commonly used homeopathic medicines for URTI, 
data from a survey of 1097 patients visiting 80 
different Norwegian homeopaths were used. A 
simplified constitutional indication was then 
developed for the three homeopathic medicines 
most frequently prescribed for recurrent URTI and 
otitis media. The constitutional indications were 
developed by a group of five homeopaths and were 
then sent to 20 homeopaths for further 
evaluation. To evaluate the parents' choice of 
homeopathic medicines compared to the 
prescription by trained homeopaths, a group of 11 
randomly selected homeopaths were asked to 
participate. They recruited parents of 70 child 
patients.
Result - By using simplified constitutional 
indications for the three most commonly 
prescribed remedies, Calcarea carb, Pulsatilla 
and Sulphur, parents were able to choose the same 
homeopathic medicine as homeopaths' prescribed 
for 55% (95% CI 43-67) of children with URTI. 
There was excellent agreement between parents' 
choice and homeopaths' prescription for the three 
medicines (Kappa of 0.77, p < 0.001).
Conclusion - Simplified constitutional 
indications can be used to improve the quality of 
the choice of homeopathic medicines purchased 
over the counter (OTC) for self-treatment.

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