ECH recognises that high-quality healthcare depends on high standards of education. This is as true for homeopathy as for any other medical discipline and the Education Subcommittee works to support Teaching Centres throughout Europe in the attainment of the best possible standards of education for homeopathy.
Standards
A standard for Services of Medical Doctors with an additional qualification in Homeopathy (MDQH) was approved by the Member States of the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and published in 2017. This European Standard (EN 16872:2016) defines the knowledge and skills required by medical homeopaths. It also makes clear the relationship between the conventional and the homeopathic approach and includes statements regarding clinical practice, ethical codes and conduct, basic educational requirements and continuous professional development.
Over many years, our expert panel has worked with ECH and its other Subcommittees to develop the Medical Homeopathic Education Standards, for ECH- and LMHI- affiliated schools. These standards provide an agreed framework for high-quality education and are a training benchmark for safe and effective homeopathic practice by qualified medical practitioners. Across Europe, over 3,200 doctors have added the ECH Diploma to their professional qualifications.
The profound changes in education worldwide motivated the ECH Education Subcommittee to work to modernise homeopathic education. A new ECH standard was created to answer the needs of the Teaching Centres for a more condensed curriculum, up-to-date education methods, and practice-oriented teaching. You can see the full text here: ECH Education Standards for Training to acquire the diploma of Doctor with an Additional Qualification in Homeopathy, Utrecht, 2025
This standard is compatible with national and international quality standards for homeopathy, continuing medical education, and modern quality standards and guidelines for conventional medicine. Its aim is to support the next generation of homeopaths with what they require to be successful.
We are pleased that, working closely with the ECH Pharmacy Subcommittee, we are now also able to provide a framework of requirements for training in homeopathic pharmacy. The ECH European Guidelines for the Training of Homeopathic Pharmacists and ECH European Diploma in Homeopathic Pharmacy
Quality assurance is an important part of the Education Subcommittee’s work and is central to the accreditation of ECH Teaching Centres. Once accreditation has been granted, it remains valid for a period of 6 years and is renewable following review.
Support
The ECH Education Subcommittee represents a wide spectrum of expertise. This has allowed us to harmonise many of the essential prerequisites for training in homeopathy and to establish our core standards for education. However, over and above our accreditation responsibilities, we also aim to support our affiliated schools by providing guidance and developing a bank of shared resources. These include e-learning modules (under development) and support for teacher training within our Sharing Teaching Experience project.
Dialogue
Education is a dynamic and on-going process. The members of the Subcommittee welcome any input you may have concerning educational topics, such as teaching methodology, the incorporation of research and evidence into teaching programmes, improvement of communication between teachers and students, educational delivery and design (including e-learning) and any other activities relevant to the education of homeopathic doctors.
Please contact us with your questions or suggestions.
The Subcommittee meets twice a year, as part of regular ECH meetings with other Subcommittees. If you are interested in sharing the work of our group, please contact the Coordinator who can arrange a preliminary visit to one of our sessions.
Co-ordinator:
Dr Dora Pachova
e-mail: education@homeopathyeurope.org
