homeopathy

Homeopathic medicinal products are prepared according to a homeopathic manufacturing procedure described in the European Pharmacopoeia or in one of the official homeopathic pharmacopoeias of the member states. This homeopathic manufacturing process is performed on homeopathic stocks. The Homeopathic Pharmaceutical Products Decree (Besluit homeopatische farmaceutische producten) applies to this group of medicinal products.
Anthroposophical medicinal products also fall under the Homeopathic Pharmaceutical Products Decree if they meet the same definition as a homeopathic medicinal product. This also applies to a medicinal product manufactured according to an anthroposophical formula where the manufacturing process followed is the normal general method used to prepare a homeopathic medicinal product.

Concepts & definitions
A homeopathic product is prepared using substances or products that are recognised as homeopathic stocks. Homeopathic manufacturing procedures are described in the European Pharmacopoeia, the French Pharmacopoeia and the Homöopathisches ArzneiBuch (HAB), that forms part of the official German national pharmacopoeia. A homeopathic product is usually identified by the scientific name for the homeopathic stock, with the homeopathic dilution or potency being indicated by the following symbols:

• dilution in steps of 1 to 10 (decimal); indicated by D, DH or X
• dilution in steps of 1 to 100 (centesimal); indicated by C or CH
• specific method of dilution in steps of 1:50,000; indicated by LM
• mother tinctures prepared in accordance with the German HAB method; indicated by Ø
• mother tinctures prepared in accordance with the French Pharmacopoeia; indicated by MT (or as TM: teinture-mère)
• continuous process of dilution; indicated by K

Homeopathic stocks
Raw materials for the production of homeopathic products can be either natural or synthetic. Raw materials of botanical, animal or human origin can be used either fresh or in dried form. Fresh plant material is macerated in ethanol to produce a mother tincture.
For raw materials that are of vegetable, animal or human origin, the mother tincture is the homeopathic stock. If the raw material is a chemical substance or a mineral, the chemical substance or the mineral itself is considered as the stock and therefore as the starting material for the homeopathic manufacturing process.

Examples of these different homeopathic raw materials are:

• Botanical: Calendula officinalis (marigold)
• Animal: Apis mellifera (honeybee)
• Chemical: Natrium chloricum (NaCl, table salt)
• Mineral: Quartz

Potentisation (homeopathic dilution)
Homeopathic dilutions or triturations are prepared from homeopathic raw materials using potentisation methods described in a homeopathic pharmacopoeia, involving successive dilutions of the solutions. The number of dilutions is expressed by the number in the potency designation: "D3 / 3DH / 3X" represents a three-step decimal dilution (1:10); "C8 / 8CH" represents eight consecutive centesimal dilutions (1:100). In homeopathy, the term "potentisation" is used because the solution is succussed between each dilution step.