NZ Coroners Report on Complementary Medicines

[Guest guest]

This is from Alliance Health Freedom Australia.

This info is not exactly news, at least to most of us - but is

still interesting for other reasons. Must admit, I am curious as to how this

government is going to respond regarding this now.

It would be truly great if Canada and the USA would have a similar

study. Though I think that the USA government is too smart - they are well

aware the results would be similar and don't wish to look the fool. And don't

think the 'powers that be' in Canada are as stupid as they pretend, though they

are still certainly not the brightest spark on the block, so to speak. [i am

Canadian]

blessings

Shan

 

Dear Health Freedom Advocate,

 

 

Dr Wallace Bain, Acting Chair of the Coroners' Council, has just released

this report into deaths caused by natural health medicines in New Zealand.

 

He highlights the information in light of the push by the New Zealand

government for greater control over natural medicines by way of legislation to

create

the Australia New Zealand Therapeutics Products Authority (ANZTPA).

 

 

Natural medicines – the safest way to avoid death

 

A report just released by the Acting Chair of the Coroner’s Council has shown

natural medicines have the lowest fatality rate of all medical treatments in

New Zealand.

 

Despite extensive research, coroner Dr Wallace Bain found no deaths have

occurred in New Zealand due to natural medicines such as vitamins, minerals and

herbal products.

 

Dr Bain, who is also a trained pharmacist and lawyer, undertook the study in

light of growing opposition to new legislation that will see New Zealand’s

natural health industry come under Australian laws.

 

The safety of natural products is often sited as a reason for the need for

such a move.

 

The Labour government plans that the Australia New Zealand Therapeutic

Products Authority (ANZTPA) will soon replace the current Medsafe agency as part

of

a `trans-Tasman harmonisation’ push. Opponents fear this move will decimate

New Zealand’s natural health industry as has already occurred in Australia.

 

At present lack of support from New Zealand First, the Maori and Green

parties is the only thing stopping the legislation coming into effect.

 

Says Dr Bain: “In my capacity as Acting Chair of the Coroner’s Council, I

enquired of all Coroners as to whether or not from a search of their Coronial

findings they could find any instances where there had been a problem with any

of these natural products.

 

“They were asked to provide any information from inquests where these

products had been involved whether or not a death had resulted. At the same time

the

Coronial records held by the Ministry of Justice in Wellington were searched

at my request by ministry staff.â€

 

Dr Bain’s study returned a finding of zero deaths from natural remedies.

 

His only findings were:

 

* A three-year-old child who choked to death on a vitamin tablet in 2003 that

was too large for the child to swallow

 

 

* A woman who terminated her third pregnancy after a scan showed the foetus

had spina bifida. The woman had been taking 300mg of folic acid a day rather

than the recommended 800mg per day

 

 

* A man who died from non-viral hepatitis of unknown origin who also had a

pre-existing prostrate cancer condition. The man had been taking an Indian

herbal product K4. The Corner’s report said despite no certainty of a link

with the

herbal product, the remedy such be banned until more was known about its

effects on liver toxicity

 

 

* Some ongoing inquests into party pills

 

In contrast,

deaths in 1998 (the last year of detailed official statistics available)

caused by adverse reactions to pharmaceutical drugs killed 1524 New Zealanders

and

deaths associated with medical injury (mistakes by doctors and medical staff)

killed 4222 New Zealanders.

 

Says Dr Bain: “A recent Australian study shows that 1 in 10 patients

presenting to a general practitioner had an adverse pharmaceutical drug event in

the

preceding six months with 50% of those being in the moderate to severe range

and 8% requiring hospitalisation.

 

“A New Zealand study reported in July of 2006 and referred to Parliament’s

Health Committee pointed to previous research suggesting problems such as

hospital acquired infection, drug error and staff mistakes are costing this

country

around $870 million a year. This prompted the Health Minister to ensure that

District Health Boards gave priority to reducing such adverse events – most

clearly identified as being drug induced.â€

 

Also in Dr Bain’s report is mention of a US study that puts complications

resulting from medication errors in American hospitals at $US1.5 billion dollars

per year. Studies also show that prescription drug errors double a person’s

risk of dying in hospital. Another study put the cost of a single adverse drug

event to a hospital in the US at $US2,500.

 

“The estimate of costs incurred by US hospitals as a result of drug-related

injury or death was put at $US76.6 billion which was three times the cost of

all diabetes care in the United States,†says Dr Bain.

 

“What is ironic here is that what is being held out as a justification for

high regulation and compliance in the area of complementary medicines and

natural products in New Zealand is public safety and risk. Despite a diligent

search

of Coronial records and the literature, no instances have been found to

demonstrate that in fact these products have any serious public health issue or

risk.

 

“The problem is clearly with prescription and other drugs,†says Dr Bain.

“

The Coronial and literature searches in so far as natural products are

concerned and linkages to public safety and risk can be described legally as De

minimis no curat lex. That is – of minimal risk importance.

 

“The law does not and should not concern itself with such trifles.â€

 

Dr Bain’s report has been sent to Annette King.

 

 

Dr Bain is available for comment directly on 021 750 704 or via me, Kimberley

Paterson on 09 4244218 or 0273 454570. You can also contact Dr Bain directly

on 021 750 704

 

If you need more information, please contact me

 

Kind regards

 

Kimberley Paterson

09 4244218

www.lodestarmedia.co.nz

 

 

 

Michael Bending 

Alliance for Health Freedom Australia 

http://www.ahf-au.org  

'All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing' 

- Edmund Burke (1729-1797), Irish born writer and politician -