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Etat des lieux de l'homéopathie en Belgique - KCE

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<strong>KCE</strong> Reports 154 Homeopathy 77<br />

The compet<strong>en</strong>ce to perform reserved acts can be used in<strong>de</strong>p<strong>en</strong><strong>de</strong>ntly in practice,<br />

provi<strong>de</strong>d that the compet<strong>en</strong>ce was acquired by experi<strong>en</strong>ce. If a person is authorised,<br />

but not compet<strong>en</strong>t, to perform reserved acts, that person can give a prescription for<br />

the treatm<strong>en</strong>t.<br />

Assessm<strong>en</strong>t of compet<strong>en</strong>ce is <strong>en</strong>trusted to the practitioner of the profession in<br />

question, or to the professional association 100 .<br />

5.2.2.3 Evaluation of the BIG law<br />

As for alternative medicine, Dutch legislation has adopted the principle of self-regulation<br />

for improving healthcare quality and public information by alternative practitioners. The<br />

practitioners of alternative medicine are not covered by the BIG law and have no official<br />

recognition. There is no registration mechanism for alternative medicines 91 .<br />

Because of the BIG law, the position in society of the associations repres<strong>en</strong>ting<br />

alternative medicines has consi<strong>de</strong>rably changed in several ways, especially with the<br />

disappearance of the concept of the unauthorised practice of medicine. Moreover, the BIG<br />

law governs exclusively what the law terms ‘qualified persons’, tipping the scale too far<br />

in the direction of freedom of choice for citiz<strong>en</strong>s, to the <strong>de</strong>trim<strong>en</strong>t of safety. In addition,<br />

control by public bodies of non-conv<strong>en</strong>tional (alternative) practitioners is consi<strong>de</strong>red<br />

ina<strong>de</strong>quate and the public ministry would not suffici<strong>en</strong>tly pursue litigation. Other<br />

criticisms: the p<strong>en</strong>al sanctions are consi<strong>de</strong>red to be too heavy, the plaintiff is not<br />

suffici<strong>en</strong>tly protected and the quality of care is too <strong>de</strong>p<strong>en</strong><strong>de</strong>nt on the approach chos<strong>en</strong><br />

by the professional association 100 .<br />

Many criticisms have also be<strong>en</strong> levelled against the attitu<strong>de</strong> of the public authorities,<br />

which are more or less neutral concerning alternative medicine. Some believe that the<br />

public authorities should draw up without <strong>de</strong>lay a specific policy concerning the<br />

alternative professions m<strong>en</strong>tioned in article 34. This would provi<strong>de</strong> suffici<strong>en</strong>t clarity in<br />

the meantime concerning the criteria to be used 100 .<br />

Key points: the situation in the Netherlands<br />

• In principle the BIG allows anyone to provi<strong>de</strong> medical care, with the<br />

exception of certain ‘reserved’ acts that can only be performed by the<br />

professional practitioners authorised by the BIG law.<br />

• The BIG law is partially a framework law which governs various important<br />

matters. Many other modalities are nevertheless left to self-regulation by<br />

the professional organisations.<br />

• The BIG law is based on the principle of registration of professional<br />

certificates and training certificates, and makes a distinction betwe<strong>en</strong> two<br />

categories, each subject to specific rules.<br />

5.2.3 France<br />

5.2.3.1 G<strong>en</strong>eral<br />

As in Belgium, Fr<strong>en</strong>ch law consi<strong>de</strong>rs only qualified doctors that can practice medicine.<br />

As a result, the exercise of alternative treatm<strong>en</strong>ts is reserved for doctors, which has led<br />

to a paradox in France, where certain doctors that only have a fragm<strong>en</strong>tary knowledge<br />

of alternative treatm<strong>en</strong>ts are authorised to use them, while these practices are<br />

prohibited for non-doctors that have followed proper training in alternative therapies. If<br />

this prohibition is flouted, non-doctors are op<strong>en</strong> to litigation. 100<br />

Notwithstanding these principles, France shows a <strong>de</strong>gree of tolerance, as we shall see<br />

below.

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