Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Integration of homeopathy and complementary medicine in the public health system in Italy: national regulation and regional experiences

  • Homeopathy and Integrative Medicine
  • Published:
Journal of Medicine and the Person

Abstract

Complementary medicine (CM) is being increasingly used by citizens across Europe as a means to maintain their health and to treat illness and disease. In Italy the reform of Title V of the Italian Constitution allows each Region to decide how to put into practice and organize the Public Healthcare System. The agreement among the Italian National Government, the Regions, and the Provinces of Trento and Bolzano on the terms and requirements for the quality certification of training and practice of acupuncture, herbal medicine, and homeopathy by medical doctors and dentists, signed on February 2013, sets up rules for education and training in acupuncture, herbal medicine, homeopathy, homotoxicology, and anthroposophic medicine. Some regions, including Tuscany, have decided to include Complementary Medicine in their Essential Levels of Assistance, by creating some structures that integrate the health services into the public structures. The Homeopathic Clinic in Lucca, funded by the Tuscany Region, was established in 1998 as part of a pilot project aimed at assessing the feasibility of integrating complementary medicine into the public health care system. To date, over 4,000 patients have been consecutively visited at the Homeopathic Clinic in Lucca. Concomitantly, research into homeopathy effectiveness has been conducted on the whole sample and on specific groups of children, women or patients’ parents as well. Studies were also performed on symptom reduction or resolution of atopic diseases, respiratory diseases, side effects of anticancer therapies in women. Other researches concerned cost/effectiveness of therapies, sociodemographic characteristics and compliance of patients, and risk management. The results demonstrate that homeopathy can effectively integrate or, in some cases, substitute allopathic medicine and that the Tuscan example can be useful to the development of national or European rules on CM utilization.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. European Information Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2011) 22‐11‐0011. http://www.eiccam.eu/pdfs/eiccambrochurecomplete.pdf Accessed in Jun 2014

  2. Final Report of CAMbrella Work Package 4 CAM use in Europe The patients’ perspective (2014). Part I: A systematic literature review of CAM prevalence in the EU. https://phaidra.univie.ac.at/detail_object/o:292161. Accessed in June 2014

  3. Istituto nazionale di statistica (ISTAT) (National Institute for Statistics): Le terapie non convenzionali in Italia (Non-conventional medicine in Italy) (2005) Roma 2007. Available at http://www.istat.it/salastampa/comunicati/non_calendario/20070821_00/testointegrale.pdf. Accessed on Mar 2014

  4. Istituto nazionale di statistica (ISTAT) (National Institute for Statistics): tutela della salute e accesso alle cure (2013). Available at http://www.agenas.it/images/agenas/Agenews/newsletter4/Tutela_della_salute_accesso_alle_cure_10_lug_2014_Testo_integrale.pdf. Accessed on Sep 2014

  5. European Coalition on Homeopathic and Anthroposophic Medicinal Products (2014) Homeopathic and anthroposophic medicinal products. A thriving European tradition. Available at http://www.echamp.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/Brochures/a_thriving_european_tradition/Brochure_web.pdf. Accessed on May 2014

  6. FNOMCeO Guidelines of the FNOMCeO for non-conventional medicine and practices education (2010) Available at http://www.omceomb.it/public/upload/Normativa/Linee_guida_FNOMCeO_formazione_nelle_medicine_e_pratiche_non_convenzionali.pdf. Accessed on Mar 2014

  7. Tognetti Bordogna M, Gentiluomo A, Roberti di Sarsina P (2013) Post-graduate education in traditional and non conventional medicines: Italy poised between national guidelines and regional variants. Altern Integr Med 2:8

    Google Scholar 

  8. La Costituzione della Repubblica Italiana (2014) Parte seconda. Ordinamento della Repubblica. Titolo V. Le Regioni, le Province, i Comuni. Available at http://www.governo.it/Governo/Costituzione/2_titolo5.html. Accessed on Mar 2014

  9. Rossi E (2013) Medical pluralism—the Italian case. In: Jutte R (ed) Medical pluralism—past and present. Franz Steiner Verlag, Stuttgard

    Google Scholar 

  10. Conferenza permanente per i rapporti tra lo Stato, le Regioni e le Province Autonome di Trento e Bolzano (2013) Accordo tra il Governo, le Regioni e le Province autonome di Trento e Bolzano concernente i criteri e le modalità per la formazione ed il relativo esercizio dell’agopuntura, della fitoterapia e dell’omeopatia da parte dei medici chirurghi ed odontoiatri”. (SALUTE) Codice:4.10/2013/2 (Servizio III) Accordo ai sensi dell’articolo 4 del decreto legislativo 28 agosto 1997, n. 281. Available at http://www.statoregioni.it/Documenti/DOC_039735_54%20%20csr%20punto%2010.pdf. Accessed on Mar 2014

  11. Regional Health Plan for 2005–2007 (2014) Chapter 5.2.2.5. Le Medicine non Convenzionali. P. 220–222. Available at http://aemmedi.sezioniregionali.it/files/664395975_76ARc2_VENTOTTO.pdf. Accessed on Mar 2014

  12. Regione Toscana (2005) Legge regionale N.40 del 24 febbraio 2005, Disciplina del servizio sanitario regionale Bollettino Ufficiale n. 19, parte prima, supplemento n. 40 del 7 marzo 2005. http://raccoltanormativa.consiglio.regione.toscana.it/articolo?urndoc=urn:nir:regione.toscana:legge:2005-02-24;40. Accessed on May 2014

  13. Regione Toscana. Giunta Regionale. Delibera no.655 del 20.6.2005. Livello di assistenza della specialistica ambulatoriale. Integrazione al nomenclatore tariffario regionale (DGR 229/97 e successive modifiche), Medicine complementari dipendenze. http://web.rete.toscana.it/attinew/. Accessed on May 2014

  14. Agreement for the regional discipline of relations with medical specialists in hospital clinics (2006). Available at http://www.aupitoscana.it/wp-content/documents/convenzionati/accordi_regionali/accordo-regionale-2006.pdf (Accessed on March 2014)

  15. Tuscany Region (2014) List of public complementary medicine clinics. Available at: http://www.regione.toscana.it/documents/10180/23335/Ambulatori+di+medicine+complementari/0a20215a-3340-45ee-9efb-297295c85992?version=1.1. Accessed on May 2014

  16. Tuscany Region (2002) Regional Act n.1384 of 09/12/2002 Azione di Piano sulle Medicine non Convenzionali (MnC). Rinnovo Commissione regionale MnC. Individuazione Centro regionale di riferimento. Destinazione Fondo PSR a sostegno delle MnC. Available at http://web.rete.toscana.it/attinew/?MIval=_pag2a&accesso=1. Accessed on May 2014

  17. Tuscany Region. Legge Regionale 14 dicembre 2009, n. 75 - Legge di manutenzione dell’ordinamento regionale 2009 – Art. 79 (BURT n. 54/2009 pag. 28). Modifiche all’articolo 43 della l.r. 40/2005 1. Available at: http://web.rete.toscana.it/burt/?MIval=burtt_sommario&data=18/12/2009&nb=54&parte=0&ns=0&sid=&bt. Accessed on Mar 2014)

  18. Tuscany Region (2008) Delibera N.884 del 03-11-2008 Realizzazione presso l’Ospedale di Pitigliano del primo Centro ospedaliero di medicina integrata della Regione Toscana. Determinazioni, Available at http://web.rete.toscana.it/attinew/?MIval=_pag2a&accesso=1. Accessed on Sept 2014

  19. Tuscany Region (2005) Regional Law of Tuscany no.2/2005, Wellness and Bio-natural Disciplines. Available at: http://www.regione.toscana.it/regione/multimedia/RT/documents/2009/08/06/ea83ab7fc7dc8915a59169bcbe0f3f74_legge22005.pdf. Accessed on Mar 2014

  20. Tuscany Region (2014) Regional Law of Tuscany no. 9/2007. Available at http://jtest.ittig.cnr.it/cocoon/regioneToscana/xhtml?doc=/db/nir/RegioneToscana/2007/urn_nir_regione.toscana_legge_2007–02–19n9&css=&datafine=20121214. Accessed on Mar 2014

  21. Tuscany Region. Giunta Regionale. Delibera no. 49 del 28-01-2008. Modalità di esercizio delle medicine complementari da parte dei medici e odontoiatri, dei medici veterinari e dei farmacisti. Protocollo d’intesa (ex Legge Regionale n°9 del 19 febbraio 2007) (Practice of Complementary Medicine by Medical Doctors and Dentists, Veterinaries and Pharmacists.Memorandum of intent of R. L.n.9/2007). Available at: http://www.regione.toscana.it/regione/multimedia/RT/documents/1207822728762_49_com.pdf Accessed on March 2014

  22. Rossi E, Picchi M, Bartoli P, Panozzo MA, Di Stefano M, Puglia M, Da Frè M (2014) Homeopathy in the public health system: outcome data from the homeopathic clinic of the campo di marte hospital, Lucca (1998–2010). EUJIM 6:39–47

    Google Scholar 

  23. Rossi E, Bartoli P, Bianchi A, Da Frè M (2012) Homeopathy in paediatric atopic diseases: long-term results in children with atopic dermatitis. Homeopathy 101:13–20

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Rossi E, Bartoli P, Panozzo MA, Di Stefano M, Da Frè M (2012) Homeopathic treatment in atopic diseases (dermatitis, asthma and allergic rhinitis): long-term outcomes. Oral presentations/EUJIM 4S:67

    Google Scholar 

  25. Rossi E, Picchi M, Di Stefano M, Marongiu AMR, Scarsini P (2014) The homeopathic choice for children: a qualitative research on the decision making process of the families. (under review)

  26. Endrizzi C, Rossi E, Crudeli L, Garibaldi D (2005) Harms in homeopathy: aggravations, adverse drug events or medication errors ? Homeopathy 94:233–240

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Di Stefano M, Rossi E, Baccetti S, Firenzuoli F, Bellandi T, Albolino S, Tartaglia R (2010) Survey on incident reporting in complementary medicine. EUJIM 2(4):256

    Google Scholar 

  28. Di Stefano M, Rossi E, Bellandi T, Baccetti S, Firenzuoli F, Vannacci A, Tartaglia R (2010) Safety of the patient and clinical risk management in complementary medicine. EUJIM 2(4):255

    Google Scholar 

  29. Panozzo MA, Rossi E, Bartoli P, Da Fre` M (2013) Integrative treatment for women diseases in a public homeopathic clinic (2002–2011) and multidisciplinary approach to personal and family crises. Forsch Komplemen 20(suppl 1):98

    Google Scholar 

  30. Endrizzi C, Rossi E (2006) Patient compliance with homeopathic therapy. Homeopathy 95:206–214

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Rossi E, Diacciati S, Picchi M, Pellegrini M, Baldini E (2014) Integrative approach with diet and complementary medicine in oncology: the experience in the hospital of Lucca (Italy). J Altern Complement Med 20(6):A1–A149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Rossi E, Crudeli L, Endrizzi C, Garibaldi D (2009) Cost-benefit evaluation of homeopathic vs conventional therapy in respiratory disease. Homeopathy 9:2–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Dr Laura Cignoni for the English translation.

Conflict of interest

No conflict of interest. All the costs for this study were supported by the Public Health System of the Tuscany Region.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Homeopathic Clinic, Campo di Marte Hospital, Local Health Unit n.2, Lucca, Italy

    E. Rossi, M. Picchi & Marialessandra Panozzo

  2. Tuscan Network of Integrative Medicine, Lucca, Tuscany Region, Italy

    M. Di Stefano & S. Baccetti

Authors
  1. E. Rossi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. Picchi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Marialessandra Panozzo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. M. Di Stefano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. S. Baccetti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to E. Rossi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Rossi, E., Picchi, M., Panozzo, M. et al. Integration of homeopathy and complementary medicine in the public health system in Italy: national regulation and regional experiences. J Med Pers 13, 45–54 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12682-014-0187-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12682-014-0187-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation