Anthroposophic Pharmacy

Anthroposophic medicinal products are made from raw materials of natural origin, i.e., they are primarily taken from nature. The raw materials include minerals, metals, plants and partial plants, eusocial insects, animal organs and organ derivatives.

Today the pharmaceutical processes of Anthroposophic Pharmacy are well described in the European Pharmacopoeia (Pharmacopoea Europaea), the German Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia (HAB), the Swiss Pharmacopoeia (Pharmacopoea Helvetica) and the Anthroposophic Pharmaceutical Codex (APC). The APC presents all relevant processes of Anthroposophic Pharmacy in one work.

Many anthroposophic medications are on the market based on specific national legislation. In the European Union, anthroposophic medications are generally regulated according to Directive 2001/83/EC. The Directive mentions anthroposophic medicinal products only in its introductory paragraphs (paragraph 22) and defines that, provided the products are prepared according to the homeopathic method, they should be regulated as homeopathic medicinal products.

The origin, production and application of anthroposophic medicinal products go back to Rudolf Steiner (1861–1925), who founded Anthroposophic Medicine at the beginning of the 20th century together with the physician Ita Wegman (1876–1943). At that time Rudolf Steiner developed principles for the choice of raw materials and the various manufacturing processes that are still valid today. Another pioneer of Anthroposophic Pharmacy was Rudolf Hauschka (1891–1969).