Some players have thanked Blizzard for the "nerfs" they have done with regards to Alchemy in the World of Warcraft 2.1 patch. It has become common place for raiders and PvP combatants to take a little sip or two of performance enhancing potions. We're not sure about the rules on this as set by the Goblin Board of Representatives but Blizzard seems fine with it.
Anyway, back to the topic. Blizzard poster Nethaera explained the reasons for the nerfs in a post on the WoW Forums. The changes were made to take the "burden off of alchemists and guilds in needing to farm so much." They did this by making a few of the instances relatively easier. She also addressed the problem that players were spending too much time farming for materials and the high expense of raiding.
One major complaint that people had was the amount of time they spent farming for materials and how expensive it was to raid. By making the changes we have with alchemy, this has become less burdensome. Yes, there are always those that don't mind farming, but in this case, we felt this change had the most benefit overall.
As you say in your own post, raiding should not hinge on a single profession and these changes ease the perception a bit. The profession is not crippled by this and is still very viable.
All things considered, this was a good balancing move by Blizzard in the short term. We really have to wait a month or two whether these changes worked or more tweaks are needed.
