Trust, expectations and risk perceptions in homeopathic self-medication among Italian users: Evidence from a...

Self-medication in homeopathy may pose significant risks to users' health by bypassing the essential role of physicians in diagnosis and treatment. This study investigates how self-medication practices and trust in advisory information sources (e.g., pharmacists, peers, self-research) are associated with users' perceptions of homeopathic treatment effectiveness and associated risks.

In this cross-sectional survey, a convenience sample of 157 participants recruited through online Italian communities of homeopathic users, participants were presented with a hypothetical homeopathic product and measured their expectations of its effectiveness, among other psychological scales. Differences based on recent CAM consultation and source of product recommendation were examined using two-sample Welch's t-tests with unequal variances, and associations were assessed through multiple linear regression models.

Trust in pharmacists emerged as the strongest predictor of expectations (β = 0.44), followed by subjective norms (β = 0.22), with the final regression model explaining approximately 55% of the variance in expectations (R² = 0.55). Participants who had not recently consulted a CAM professional or who relied on non-homeopath sources reported higher perceived effectiveness and lower risk perceptions related to homeopathic consumption.

These findings suggest that informational and interpersonal contexts are associated with expectations and risk perceptions related to homeopathic treatments.

These findings suggest that communication strategies should differentiate between advisory and diagnostic roles within healthcare. While pharmacists play a crucial advisory function and are often the most accessible health professionals, reinforcing the importance of medical evaluation for diagnosis and treatment planning remains essential to prevent inappropriate reliance on over-the-counter homeopathic products.