A culture of encounter

In very basic terms, I deal with pharmaceutical standards. This means production-related properties of medicines, which result in legally binding documents. In bodies such as ECHAMP¹ , we come together on a European level to jointly ask questions such as ‘How do I perform a stability test?’ or ‘How do I document effectiveness?’. In essence, we create framework conditions for the future.

I mainly work with sparring partners, who also deal with matters relating to pharmaceutical standards. These can be other companies, entire industries but also associations, for example. Even official authorities sometimes provide input. The aforementioned European association of manufacturers ECHAMP plays an important role in my work. As do the German associations BAH² and BPI³ , of course.

Because as medicine manufacturers in times of globalisation, we need harmonised technical production standards.

Definitely. But we are still miles away from that in our sector.

Because the conditions on the ground have to be right for it. And because a uniform understanding of the products and services is needed. A great deal is related to long-standing traditions. Switzerland has a very different knowledge of anthroposophic medicine than Spain, for example.

I regard these barriers as our greatest opportunities! Every voice of criticism drives us and gives us the chance to improve. The level of professionalism in our sector is soaring right now. In ten years’ time, we will look back on circumstances that have significantly contributed to the development and spread of integrative medicine. We are here to stay!

Integrative medicine wants to offer patients the best bits of various therapeutic approaches – both from what’s referred to as conventional medicine and from the field of complementary medicine. The latter views patients more holistically, as a unit comprising body, mind and soul. We are currently seeing large parts of society experiencing a spiritual enlightenment and recognising that sickness and health can affect us on multiple levels. You could also say that the integrative approach is the logical consequence of social evolution. And that those who want to prevent this movement are our best coaches.

I believe that there are cultures that have much less trouble dealing with the questions raised – for example those in South America and Asia. I find it fascinating how they sometimes deal with topics like karma or the spiritual and earthly world in a highly pictorial and imaginative way. In such cultures it becomes clear that humans are on the way to developing a multidimensional understanding of themselves. And that’s good. But doing so takes courage. Here at WALA, we have this courage. And so we will ‘position ourselves’, if I may, with our products in this modern world.

We want to use our products – both our medicines and our cosmetics – to make a modest contribution to meeting people’s needs and alleviating their hardships. We also want to honour the natural world from which we source our raw and starter materials by appreciating it, understanding it and regarding it within a human context. By showing appreciation to a medicinal plant contained within a product that I am currently using, I develop a healthy attitude of gratitude. Appreciation and gratitude have always been part of the WALA’s corporate culture.

Yes, definitely. It’s all well and good to use nature as a source of resources for producing natural tinctures and products, but this circumstance alone does not lead us into the future. Only a differentiated multidimensional view paves the way: what reciprocal effects do my actions have on the world? Do I have the right attitude? Do I take care and can I reflect this care in my products?
Anthroposophic medicine is a form of integrative medicine. It is not about either or. It is about acknowledging all medical efforts, products and services. Because we need multidimensionality! Everyone wants to find their mission and fulfil it with their heart and soul. This is how we create supportive cooperation and healthy interactions between people and services as well as between needs and requirements. These developments are then ‘organic’ in the truest sense of the word.

A medical ethicist and doctor recently said something that really touched me: where there is no real encounter, no medicine can take place. We therefore need a culture of encounter. And we want to encounter one another outside this context. As representatives of a company, we at WALA want to be sober and patient, but also to happily work alongside our market companions and ‘peer companies’.
As you can see, developing shared industry standards is a pretty down-to-earth matter. It is a task for which we need a very down-to-earth mind, patience and perseverance. It is about clarity, relevance and manageability. A good standard enables patients to rest assured of being able to buy a good medicine. A good standard stands for good quality. And it offers transparency and traceability to authorities.

That is a more than justified question. There are two levels that we should look at here: firstly, we need a firm understanding of our limits as a company. We must not and do not want to exploit and therefore damage our renewable resources. We must not completely use up our stocks. And we naturally have to avoid all losses of quality. That is the first level, where we quickly reach an impasse.
However, on the other hand, we can ask ourselves what cooperative business opportunities could resolve this conflict. This naturally only works if we abandon our competitive mindset as a society and an economy. Let’s run through a potential scenario: another company that may operate in another country is usually embedded in a completely different context and can also make a different contribution from this context.

I would personally like to present myself in the future as a network of interconnected companies in which we do not undercut each other or steal each other’s customers. In economic systems too, we require organic life forms, characterised by their regionalities and their connection to local end users. Or to put it more precisely: let’s move away from the days of unilateral dynamics and towards the modern dimensions of cultural spaces, interactions and conversations. These things will allow us and other industries to grow. Healthy life is always diverse. It involves a wide variety of interactions. It achieves balance. Only then can life be flexible and yet still stable. Where meaningful symbioses grow, diverse expression also ensues.

Thank you for speaking to us.