Quoted from http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_12615248
Homeopathy and potential hazards
Zicam suits spur re-examination
By Jeff Donn
The Associated Press Posted:06/18/2009
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The unsettling little secret of Zicam Cold Remedy finally spilled out this week. Though widely sold for years as a drug for colds, it was never tested by federal regulators for safety like other drugs. And that was perfectly legal — until scores of consumers lost their sense of smell.
One little word on Zicam's label explains all this: "homeopathic." Zicam and hundreds of other homeopathic remedies — highly diluted drugs made from natural ingredients — are legally sold as treatments with explicit claims of medical benefit. Yet they don't require federal checks for safety, effectiveness or even the right ingredients.