Homoeopathy is different from placebo, say the authors of a study that compared homoeopathy with placebo for allergic rhinitis in 50 patients.
Homoeopathy gave a significant improvement in nasal airflow, but it was no better than placebo in subjective symptom scores, report Dr David Reilly (honorary senior lecturer in medicine, Glasgow Royal infirmary) and colleagues (British Medical Journal 2000;321:471).
However, Dr Tim Lancaster (clinical reader in general practice, Institute of health sciences, Oxford) argues that the data do not strengthen the conclusion that homoeopathy differs from placebo. Larger trials are needed, he says (ibid, p476).