Hi Dr. Jordan, Thanks for your comment; I agree that the definition of "homeopathy" and "homeopathic" have taken a beaten over the past couple of decades–and they've become inappropriately intertwined with "natural" and "holistic" as well. It is for this very reason that we feel some oversight would be a beneficial. I'm intrigued by the work you're doing–in bringing homeopathic medicine into the realm of your veterinary practice; it is not a blend of studies one sees too frequently. In regard to Zicam, we are only reporting the use of "homeopathic" relative to the nasal cold remedy based on what the makers of Zicam profess themselves; as published on their site on 6/30/09 in response to the question of whether Zicam is homeopathic, read on:
Regarding questions from consumers as to whether Zicam Cold Remedy products are really homeopathic, let me simply state, yes, they are. If you read the packaging on our Cold Remedy products, you’ll see that the active ingredient is a compound called Zinc gluconate. This compound is listed as a drug in the Homeopathic Pharmacopeia of the United States (HPUS) (a compendium of the FDA). To be clear, this ingredient and its concentration in Zicam intranasal Cold Remedy products are in compliance with this reference guide. Zicam intranasal products are labeled, marketed and sold in accordance with the Homeopathic Pharmacopeia of the United States and the Federal Trade Commission.
Due to the confusion, misclassification and misinformation consumers find on their local drug store shelves relative to any product marketed as "homeopathic", "holistic" or "natural", there should be some oversight to minimize misuse–or at the very least, provide some clarity to the purchase decision process. The FDA may not be the organization to best handle this, however at present, they seem the logical choice. And while we do not advocate a "big brother watching" or added-red-tape scenario that runs the risk of hindering progress in these fields, one can only think that the benefit of oversight/regulation would outweigh any negatives for consumers, the respective industries, and the practitioners.
Oh, and with regard to your closing comments–thank you for bringing the word "esquire" back into the lexicon–it sadly is not used that much in the US anymore. In reality, none of us at LawyersAndSettlements.com is an attorney–sort of a separation of church and state thing, if you will; we do, however, drive in the good ol' US of A and, as such, are all quite aware of the nation's driving laws.

Dana–wanted to get back to you re: your latest comment–you are right when you say that the title of the blog is a bit misleading. Titles and headers are a generalized summary of the content. If they were specific, they would be sentence-length.
As for the FDA, I was careful to make the point that the FDA is not involved in the approval process of these products, but that the agency's involvement comes into play when there is a problem. The FDA's own website states that the manufacturer is responsible for assuring that the products are safe before they are brought to market.
Also, the FDA refers only to dietary supplements. Nowhere–at least that I could find–does the site make any reference to homeopathic products. It would be helpful if it did.
The point I was making in the blog was not to slam homeopathic products. My own mother-in-law is a sound believer in them. Rather, I was trying to make the point that all products that are used…..ingested into the stomach, put onto the skin and thus absorbed via transdermal absorption, or put into internal cavities such as the nose and sinuses should be regulated by the FDA at the approval stage as well.
It's one thing for Grandma to prescribe a potion that she swears works and has been in the family for years. It's quite another to bottle it, market it and sell it. Grandma's potion is probably–like most homeopathic remedies–wonderful stuff, and is an alternative to putting unnatural chemicals and drugs into your system. I try to avoid drugs like the plague, personally and even try to avoid taking painkillers for headaches.
That said, the public has a deeply-rooted assumption that anything sold in a store, on a shelf with a label is safe and has been approved by some overseer. With homeopathic products, that is not the case….save for the manufacturer who, granted, has a reputation staked to the product.
However as homeopathic and naturopathic products become increasingly popular, it invites anyone with dubious intent to make a fast buck by putting something out there that could prove harmful, collect their money and scram. Nothing against the homeopathic and naturopathic industry, that for the most part exists to genuinely help humankind and is not in this simply for profit. But bottom line, in my view, is if it goes IN you, ON you or UP the nose and is SOLD by somebody….the regulatory oversight should extend, by the FDA, to the approval stage.
That's all. – Hunter