Chinese medicine leaflet broke advertising code

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

 

Interesting article taken from:

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews

<http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews & storyID=2006-

01-04T155720Z_01_SCH457313_RTRUKOC_0_UK-BRITAIN-CHINESE.xml & archived=False>

& storyID=2006-01-04T155720Z_01_SCH457313_RTRUKOC_0_UK-BRITAIN-CHINESE.xml & ar

chived=False

 

LONDON (Reuters) - A leaflet saying traditional Chinese medicine was safer

than western alternatives breached Britain's advertising code, an industry

watchdog said on Wednesday.

 

The leaflet could discourage patients from seeking essential treatment for

serious medical conditions, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said.

 

Produced by Ever Well Ltd, the leaflet also said serious medical problems

such as cancer could be treated with Chinese medicine.

 

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) -- a

government agency responsible for ensuring medicines are safe and effective

-- challenged whether Ever Well could treat all the medical conditions

listed, and its implication that Chinese medicine was safer.

 

The MHRA also complained the leaflet could discourage readers from seeking

advice from qualified doctors.

 

MHRA head of herbals policy Richard Woodfield said the agency was writing to

herbal medicine associations encouraging members to check advertising

complied with the code.

 

He said the agency had complained to the ASA because of concern that

traditional Chinese medicine clinics were making unsubstantiated claims

about safety.

 

" We are highlighting the message that misleading advertising of therapies

can lead in turn to unsafe or inappropriate use of medicinal products, "

Woodfield added.

 

The ASA said the use of the word " doctor " in the leaflet misleadingly

implied the practitioners held general medical qualifications, the ASA said.

 

It told the company not to claim that particular medical conditions could be

treated by Chinese medicine unless they could prove it. It said the

assertion that Chinese medicine was safer than western medicines should not

be repeated.

 

Ever Well argued there was a wealth of evidence that traditional Chinese

medicine was a viable alternative to Western methods.

 

The company also said the leaflet did not state that Ever Well could

effectively treat the illnesses listed but that the ailments were capable of

being treated.

 

Ever Well said its staff held medical degrees and were qualified in China.

 

Warm regards,

 

Attilio D'Alberto

Doctor of (Beijing, China)

B.Sc. (Hons) T.C.M., M.A.T.C.M.

Company Director

The Earth Health Clinic

0208 367 8378

enquiries

<http://www.theearthhealthclinic.com/> www.theearthhealthclinic.com