Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Help improve UK medicines legislation

Long story shortMHRA are currently asking the public about some aspects of their regulation, including what wording should be on some homeopathic products and this is an ideal opportunity to tell them what we think.


Homeopaths are worried and are trying to organise a way of ensuring they can continue to mislead the public. Here's a template letter you can send to the MHRA (written by @Billysuggar in a comment at my last link):



Ms Andrea Farmer
MHRA, Area 5M
151 Buckingham Palace Road
Victoria, London SW1W 9SZ
...date...
Dear Ms Farmer,
I am writing to you about the MHRA consultation document entitled "Review of Medicines Act 1968: informal consultation on issues relating to the PLR regime and homeopathy".
As a member of the public who values evidence based medical practice, and recognises the dangers inherent in misleading claims for medical efficacy, I am deeply concerned by the current orchestrated campaign in support of unproven homeopathic treatments, and their potential to delay or avoid the application of proven medical therapies, which is led by self-interested homeopaths.
I consider it to be a fundamental duty of a democratic society to ensure that patients and clinicians are provided with clear information about potential remedies which is founded on reliable scientific evidence. This includes homeopathy, the effecacy of which, as you know, is not supported by the current scientific consensus.
I contend that the marketing of any substance which may be offered for sale or application, with an implied or explicit claim of medical efficacy, and which may be considered by patients or clinicians to be suitable as a substitute for, or an addition to, conventional therapeutic remidies, should be subject to the same Marketing Authorisation (MA) requirements as the therapeutic remidies for which they may be substituted.
Therefore I strongly urge the MHRA to move homeopathic products to full Marketing Authorisation (MA) requirements, rather than the NRS or simplified scheme.
Yours
sincerely,
...name...
...address...


So, let's spread the word and get the emails/letters sent.

Thanks.

4 comments:

  1. Nice post. I had no idea this was going on. Do you know when the final decision is going to be made about this?

    ReplyDelete
  2. While I'm sure some people feel there is a benefit in homeopathy I agree with Tim Minchin.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0W7Jbc_Vhw

    Do you know what they call alternative medicine which has been proved to work?
    MEDICINE.

    Until someone can prove to me that homeopathy works, I'll stick with my life saving research and medical science thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Andy - thanks for tweeting. Deadline's the Friday 18th, so not long!

    Bishopquaker - Can't go wrong with Storm.

    ReplyDelete

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