Contemporary situation of Alternative Medicine in Germany
In 2009 and 2014 the Institut für Demoskopie Allensbach, a respected opinion and market research institute, performed a poll about “the usage of homeopathic remedies” among 1853 people over 16 years old. According to that poll, see Figure 5, about 60% of that population have taken homeopathic remedies in 2014 which is more than double from 1970 and 7% more than in 2009! (Allensbach)[i]
Figure 5: Have you ever taken homeopathic remedies? (Allensbach)
In German pharmacies the customers can buy health or beauty related products, prescriptive and over-the-counter drugs (which are only available in pharmacies).
Figure 6: To whom do you confide in health issues? - Percentage of people questioned[ii]
In health matters most patients rely on the family doctor, but many customers might go to the pharmacy and ask for suggestions. In fact 75% of the German population would go to the pharmacist, even more often than visiting a physician in a university hospital. And almost half of the population, 49%, are visiting a homeopath or Heilpraktiker; see Figure 6 (Young).