The subject of combination remedies is not going to go away, and I believe the best we can do is turn a negative into a positive. Your suggestions for this are welcomed.
. . . a few observations I have made over the years.
We cannot compare the current situation what was going on in Hahnemann's lifetime. Homeopathy was in its infancy then and mainly prescribed by physicians who were trying to work out and teach each other homeopathic principles and philosophy as they went. The populace did not have access to either remedies or information by which to self-prescribe.
We now live in a very different situation. Most remedies are self-prescribed by individuals with no formal training using OTC remedies or home use kits purchased over the internet. The reality is that prescriptions of single remedies by trained profesionals make up the minority of prescriptions in this day and age. The prescription of combo remedies by practitioners well and truly make up the minority of combo sales in this day and age. The horse has bolted and we are arguing about how to shut the gate when it has already gone. It is too late!
If Hahnemann were alive today with the situation as we have it, I think he would provide public education about how homeopathy works so that people can make informed decisions about whether or not they want
to use them. I do not think he would be spending his time castigating the masses for buying easily obtainable combos when they know no better.
I do not see combos as a big issue if the public is well informed about their limitations and what they are capable of. The public needs to know that aggravations happen; that too many remedies taken in a
short space of time can screw up the symptom picture; that combo prescribing following an appointment with a "practitioner" indicates that that practitioner knows little more than they do; that a combo
remedy will not act with the depth or clarity necessary for curative treatment of chronic disease; that combos usually only palliate or at worst, suppress; that combos only work if the remedy you need is in the combination.
If the public is taught these facts they will regulate their own use of combos - we will not have to worry about it. They will also know if they are receiving good treatment from the practitioner they choose to see and will vote with their feet - again we will not have to worry about it.
For the record, this is exactly what I do in the workshops I run. I teach about the good practice of homeopathy but also about the existence of combos - no use ignoring them and after years of observation I have come to the conclusion that their dangers are
overstated. Attendees are educated about the above points regarding combos and why the single remedy is preferable. I provide a "take home" combo remedy at each workshop for attendees to try should the need arises - it is the best way for me to get some form of
"homeopathy" into their hands so that they can try and see. Interestingly, many report good "got me out of trouble" results.
The majority of these attendees progress to having "proper" homeopathic treatment with me. They are all well-informed about what is good homeopathy and make healthcare decisions about OTC combos
accordingly. Again, for the record, I never prescribe combos - why would I want to? Also, the people who come to see me would be horrified if I did - they are possibly better informed about the role of combos than many practitioners.
