Anthroposophic medicine
“It is not a matter of being in opposition to the school of medicine that is working with the accepted scientific methods of the present time. We fully acknowledge its principles. And in our view, the approach we present should only be used by those who are fully able and entitled to practise medicine according to those principles.
We do, however, add further insights to such knowledge of the human being as is now available through accepted scientific methods. These are gained by different methods, and we therefore feel compelled to work for an extension of clinical medicine, based on these wider insights into the nature of the world and the human being.”
Dr. Rudolf Steiner and Dr. Ita Wegman, Extending Practical Medicine (1925)
Anthroposophic Medicine in Europe
Anthroposophic medicine started to develop in the 1920’s, is practised in many countries around the world and has found increasingly recognition both amongst the general public and in the academic world.
60+ countries with practising anthroposophic physicians
29 countries represented by national associations of anthroposophic doctors (of which 16 in Member States of the European Union)
15.000+ physicians in Europe prescribe Anthroposophic medicinal Products occasionally or regularly.
2700+ fully trained and licensed medical doctors in Europe in 21/27 EU Member States, Norway and Switzerland practise anthroposophic medicine.
24 hospitals in Europe (5 EU Member states and Switzerland) with 2,000+ beds of which 14 with Accident & Emergency services, 2 university teaching hospitals
120 outpatient centres (physician and at least one anthroposophic therapist) in 14 EU Member States, Norway and Switzerland provide anthroposophic medicine.
4000+ anthroposophic therapists provide anthroposophic therapies in 16 EU Member States, Norway and Switzerland.
6 million patients in Germany access anthroposophic medicine every year according to a poll.
20% of the total European market for Homeopathy is the turnover of manufacturers of remedies for the anthroposophic therapy (15 companies).
8 countries where anthroposophic medicine is regularly taught at universities and medical schools (7 EU Member states and Switzerland [university chairs in Germany and Switzerland])
27,000+ members of 15 national patients’ associations for anthroposophic medicine in Europe, representing at least 60,000 people (since households usually have 2+ members); one associated association in Canada (Québec)
1,000,000+ citizens in Europe and elsewhere signed the Charta of the citizens’ initiative ELIANT for better EU legislative framework conditions safeguarding and promoting activities based on anthroposophy, especially in the fields of agriculture, education, special needs education and medicine
Anthroposophic medicinal products are covered by national insurances in several Members States.