misconceptions

[Guest guest]

--

Dear all

Just to quote my correspondence with CHC for those interested:

I wrote:

< " Some consumers would also decide to visit herbal practitioners some

of whom are unqualified and not therefore regulated at all at

present, and whose manufacturing processes are not covered by the

above legislation, exposing them to substantial potential risks. "

That sentence will upset many herbal practitioners, and this is

unfortunate. It is true that the profession is not state registered,

but to say that it is unregulated is an insult to us and to my

professional body, the National Institute of Medical Herbalists

(NIMH), the largest professional body of herbal practitioners in the

UK, who admit new members only after lengthy clinical training and a

BSc degree in Herbal Medicine from one of several UK universities.

Following completion of the New Members's Scheme, a mentoring scheme

for new members, practitioners retain membership by adhering to a CPD

programme, to the NIMH's Code of Ethics, and to various other

ordnances. The latter include strict guidelines regarding medicines

manufacture and dispensing, anticipating future legislation in this

area. As a profession, we have an excellent safety record, an

impression which readers of this document would be unlikely to

conclude.

Medical Herbalists and their patients have hitherto been a positive

and influential force in natural medicines legislation. If it is not

your intention to cast a slur on the profession, I think it would be

a good idea to publish some kind of amendment to this document to the

effect that although many may seek help from well qualified

herbalists, whose professional bodies ensure a high regard for safety

in prescribing and dispensing, others may end up seeing unqualified

practitioners. That would be much more specific, and less likely to

alienate a group that one would imagine to be natural allies!>

Here's the reply, minus formalities of introduction and signing off:

<...Thank you for your communication about the CHC Briefing Pack for MPs in

Monday's debate.

The paragraph to which your refer makes it quite clear that we are not

talking about all practitioners but that " some " of them are unqualified.

The full text of the sentence reads:

" Some consumers would also decide to visit herbal practitioners some of

whom are unqualified and not therefore regulated at all at present, and

whose manufacturing processes are not covered by the above legislation,

exposing them to substantial potential risks. "

This is a factual and accurate statement as far as we are aware and is a

legitimate ground for concern.

We do work very closely with many practitioner organisations in relation

to the regulatory issues that we are confronting at present, but it is

also worth pointing out that it is a number of leading herbalists who

have given their support and encouragement to the Medicines Control

Agency in bringing forward this unwelcome legislation. This is a point

that you may wish to pursue because it is most unfortunate.

....>

Am I alone in finding that last sentence threatening?

There's a world of difference between the local health food shop or

even pharmacy and national agencies acting on behalf of big

businesses. Business groups are usually dominated by a small number

of relatively powerful companies that have political clout. Companies

get big by increasing their market share, exerting control on the

market and increasing profitability. Increasing market share means

putting rivals out of business, often a key business aim. I am not

saying they are nasty, but I think most would be happy to call

themselves unsentimental.

This purported consumer group represents in reality not consumers but

food supplement manufacturers, and I think they want to pressure NIMH

to play their game. This is not an amateur group. They have chosen

the words, and I believe even the commas, very carefully to cast our

profession in a bad light without actually lying. Apologies to those

who think this cynical, but their offices are those of the

parliamentary adviser for the health manufacturers, and downstairs a

major international law firm.

[Guest guest]

Please see the EHPA website for a letter from the EHPA about the Directive

on Traditional Herbal Medicine Products written to Lord Hunt last Friday.

Re: misconceptions

--

Dear all

Just to quote my correspondence with CHC for those interested:

I wrote:

< " Some consumers would also decide to visit herbal practitioners some

of whom are unqualified and not therefore regulated at all at

present, and whose manufacturing processes are not covered by the

above legislation, exposing them to substantial potential risks. "

That sentence will upset many herbal practitioners, and this is

unfortunate. It is true that the profession is not state registered,

but to say that it is unregulated is an insult to us and to my

professional body, the National Institute of Medical Herbalists

(NIMH), the largest professional body of herbal practitioners in the

UK, who admit new members only after lengthy clinical training and a

BSc degree in Herbal Medicine from one of several UK universities.

Following completion of the New Members's Scheme, a mentoring scheme

for new members, practitioners retain membership by adhering to a CPD

programme, to the NIMH's Code of Ethics, and to various other

ordnances. The latter include strict guidelines regarding medicines

manufacture and dispensing, anticipating future legislation in this

area. As a profession, we have an excellent safety record, an

impression which readers of this document would be unlikely to

conclude.

Medical Herbalists and their patients have hitherto been a positive

and influential force in natural medicines legislation. If it is not

your intention to cast a slur on the profession, I think it would be

a good idea to publish some kind of amendment to this document to the

effect that although many may seek help from well qualified

herbalists, whose professional bodies ensure a high regard for safety

in prescribing and dispensing, others may end up seeing unqualified

practitioners. That would be much more specific, and less likely to

alienate a group that one would imagine to be natural allies!>

Here's the reply, minus formalities of introduction and signing off:

<...Thank you for your communication about the CHC Briefing Pack for MPs in

Monday's debate.

The paragraph to which your refer makes it quite clear that we are not

talking about all practitioners but that " some " of them are unqualified.

The full text of the sentence reads:

" Some consumers would also decide to visit herbal practitioners some of

whom are unqualified and not therefore regulated at all at present, and

whose manufacturing processes are not covered by the above legislation,

exposing them to substantial potential risks. "

This is a factual and accurate statement as far as we are aware and is a

legitimate ground for concern.

We do work very closely with many practitioner organisations in relation

to the regulatory issues that we are confronting at present, but it is

also worth pointing out that it is a number of leading herbalists who

have given their support and encouragement to the Medicines Control

Agency in bringing forward this unwelcome legislation. This is a point

that you may wish to pursue because it is most unfortunate.

....>

Am I alone in finding that last sentence threatening?

There's a world of difference between the local health food shop or

even pharmacy and national agencies acting on behalf of big

businesses. Business groups are usually dominated by a small number

of relatively powerful companies that have political clout. Companies

get big by increasing their market share, exerting control on the

market and increasing profitability. Increasing market share means

putting rivals out of business, often a key business aim. I am not

saying they are nasty, but I think most would be happy to call

themselves unsentimental.

This purported consumer group represents in reality not consumers but

food supplement manufacturers, and I think they want to pressure NIMH

to play their game. This is not an amateur group. They have chosen

the words, and I believe even the commas, very carefully to cast our

profession in a bad light without actually lying. Apologies to those

who think this cynical, but their offices are those of the

parliamentary adviser for the health manufacturers, and downstairs a

major international law firm.

List Owner

Graham White, MNIMH

[Guest guest]

I wrote to the CHC as well and got exactly the same offensive reply, word

for word (even to the typo in the second paragraph). I had pointed out the

close juxtaposition of the words " reputable high street retailers " ,

" responsible mail order companies " and " unregulated herbalists " , which

anybody is going to pick up on, even - perhaps especially - subliminally.

They are clearly not on our side but are using any argument they can to

preserve their own vested interests.

Best to all,

Jan

[Guest guest]

Dear all,

I think that CHC anticipated our response, or if not just decided to save

themselves some time and effort and send the same reply to all. I also

recieved the same reply word for word I thought it odd that they paraphrased

the exact paragraph I had sent them, now I realise it was just a standard

response....

Hannah Barton

[Guest guest]

I teach an adult ed course ( " Herbs for Health " ) once a week. At the start of

each 10 week block I break the ice with new groups by covering a white board

with herbal quotes, misconceptions, comments that I've heard/collected since I

started training (okay, so the boards not big enough for all of them, but I

select a choice few). I find this serves a variety of purposes, it lightens the

discussion, it introduces a bit of history, it brings up the " no, I'm not a

homoeopath " issue (and allows those who thought that that was what they'd signed

on for to leave!). In the past I tried just doing the straight history bit but

found that people's eyes began to glaze over.......well, perhaps that was just

down to my style of delivery! People don't know what we do.........in fact the

majority don't know we exist, that you can even train ( " you've trained in

herbology??!! " ) to be a medical herbalist is a real eye opener to many. It's one

of the reasons why I decided that I would do drop-in sessions with a few health

food shops. I know this isn't everyone's cup of tea and I can see why. For many

of the customers who I meet, stepping into a health food shop is the first step

they make in taking some sort of responsibility for their own health. I want to

be there when they take that first step. I know this seems very idealistic (I

did only qualify last March so let me hang on to the shreds of idealism for a

bit longer!) - but I've found it really rewarding. Some of the customers who

I've met in this way and spoken to for just a few minutes have subsequently

become patients. I haven't as yet had any animosity from the health food shop

owners - in fact they seem genuinely pleased to have me in the store. They are

quite happy for me to distribute my cards and leaflets (even Boots was fine

about this during HMAW) and they know that some of their customers become my

patients. They contact me when they have queries about customers and herbs, and

they direct customers to me when they are unsure how to help them or feel that

the situation is complicated by drug cocktails etc. They keep a collection of my

cards and leaflets behind the till and distribute them as appropriate. I'm not

naive enough to think that they don't get something out of this - obviously they

make sales, not everyone wants to come to see a herbalist as a patient. I

couldn't agree more with the list member recently who said " educate, educate,

educate " . For me, these little health food shops are an ideal place to meet the

general public and let them know about what I do and how it differs from what a

health food shop can provide. I realise it's not for everyone though and that

some herbalists would not want to be associated with health food shops at all.

Sue Salmon