Newtown Square, Pa., March 8, 2007—One of the greatest challenges facing healthcare professionals is the need to keep up with patient demand to provide speedy and effective advice during the course of their daily practice. And with more and more U.S. patients discovering the benefits of homeopathic medicines, pharmacists, physicians, nurses, chiropractors and other healthcare professionals need the most up-to-date information to answer their patients’ questions.

An easy-to-use, everyday resource, Practical Use of Homeopathic Medicines is invaluable for answering anticipated and unanticipated questions on these FDA-regulated drugs.  As patient and physician interests in this often misunderstood medicine grow, this concise desk reference fills the gap between advanced technical references for prescribing physicians and book on self-treatable conditions for lay people.

A brief introduction covers homeopathic pharmacology basics and provides guidelines for dosage, storage and general use of these medicines. Afterward, information is presented in two primary sections: therapeutics and an abbreviated Materia Medica.

The therapeutic section lists the protocols that can be used for more than 40 conditions where homeopathic medicines can be simply and reliably recommended. Each section begins with a short physio-pathological synopsis. Symptoms are listed next along with corresponding medicines and dosages for an easy assessment of the treatment. The authors very clearly indicate the conditions that require physician intervention, thus remaining in the safe scope of consulting.

The second part of the book helps professionals explain a prescription. Designed to be used at the pharmacy counter, this Materia Medica lists all medicines cited in the therapeutic section. The section’s many illustrations memorably link the medicines with original strains.

Information can be retrieved quickly using an extensive index of conditions and symptoms. Additionally, a foreword on the scientific and educational aspect of this work is written by Jean Boiron, co-founder of the Boiron Laboratories and father of Michèle Boiron, one of the authors.

Pharmacists Michèle Boiron and Alain Payre-Ficot combined the sum of their practical experience in this book. As working pharmacists, both were in the initial class to receive the Diploma of The Faculty of Pharmacy in Lyon—the first course of its type on homeopathy to be offered by a French university. The program was initiated in 1976 by professors Georges Netien and Jean Raynaud. Raynaud also contributes a preface to the book.

Originally published in 1996 by Boiron S.A. France through Actualités Pharmaceutiques, this valuable reference was adapted to the U.S. market in 2000 under the title, Everyday Homeopathy for Pharmacists (ISBN 2-85742-129-X). Now, in this latest edition, all references to homeopathic dilutions and strains conform to the guidelines of the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States (HPUS), an industry standard recognized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration since 1938. The 256-page soft cover book contains 102 full-color photographs.

Practical Use of Homeopathic Medicines is regularly priced at $29.95 plus shipping. Discounts on bulk orders are available. To order a copy of this desk reference, contact Boiron’s Customer Service Department at 1-800-BLUE-TUBE (258-3883) and ask for Item No. 314.

• 14 - Definition and history
• 16 - What is a pathogenesis
• 17 - Application of the method to the person seeking treatment
• 17 - Prescription of the homeopathic medicine
• 19 - The pharmaceutical conception of homeopathic medicines
• 23 - Particular precautions concerning storage and use of homeopathic medicines
• 23 - Dosage and instructions for use