Re: Radio 4 and reductionist views

[Guest guest]

Will the professional bodies really take up your call to action?

Unfortunately I think if you wait for any of the professional bodies

to act you will be disappointed. On the very important issues of

visibility, tackling public & professional misconception, and

promoting the benefits, skills and professionalism of medical

herbalists all the professional bodies I am aware of fail their members.

Our future is I believe in our own hands - individual's taking on

these issues whenever they see it, forming a type of cumulative voice

for making us more visible, demonstrating professionalism, promoting

our benefits, skills and professionalism. No one will do it for us!

Yesterday I took Medscape to task - referenced (and erroneous) data on

Echinacea, when tracked back through two further referenced journal

articles to the original source, turned out to be completely

unreferenced speculation! One email and 5 minutes of my time to

promote medicinal herbs and highlight a shoddily researched article.

Medscape Anesthesiology

From Continuing Education in Anaesthesia, Critical Care & Pain

" Herbal Medicines and Anaesthesia "

I hope others are able to take the time to do the same...

Regards to all,

[Guest guest]

Well said and I certainly do the same. I think a lot of the PAs are too

busy with the THMPD issue and supposed regulation to have time to respond,

although I agree that they should as our representatives if you can call them

that, but it is up to us as individuals to be vigilant and put the record

straight. With the current round of witch hunts trying to put us out of business

we should do all we can.

Does anyone do PR for any of the PA's, perhaps we should e mail them. However we

do not know in advance what rubbish is to be spouted by the media and

broadcastersso we can only respond after the horse has bolted !!

Best wishes

Jacqui

>

> Will the professional bodies really take up your call to action?

>

> Unfortunately I think if you wait for any of the professional bodies

> to act you will be disappointed. On the very important issues of

> visibility, tackling public & professional misconception, and

> promoting the benefits, skills and professionalism of medical

> herbalists all the professional bodies I am aware of fail their members.

>

> Our future is I believe in our own hands - individual's taking on

> these issues whenever they see it, forming a type of cumulative voice

> for making us more visible, demonstrating professionalism, promoting

> our benefits, skills and professionalism. No one will do it for us!

>

> Yesterday I took Medscape to task - referenced (and erroneous) data on

> Echinacea, when tracked back through two further referenced journal

> articles to the original source, turned out to be completely

> unreferenced speculation! One email and 5 minutes of my time to

> promote medicinal herbs and highlight a shoddily researched article.

>

> Medscape Anesthesiology

> From Continuing Education in Anaesthesia, Critical Care & Pain

> " Herbal Medicines and Anaesthesia "

>

> I hope others are able to take the time to do the same...

>

>

> Regards to all,

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hello everyone,

I did my dissertation on Statutory Regulation. No-one else even dared to at the

time.

As part of the dissertation I called a few pharmacists and Pharmaceutical

companies such as Boots, also BUPA, PPP and a couple of other mainstream medical

insurance companies plus the Pharmaceutical Society in order to see if they knew

anything about the interactions of, among others, blood thinning agents such as

warfarin with gingko etc. to inform their patients, customers. They knew

NOTHING. So much for asking doctors and pharmacists. Will at least one of our

representatives of our so-called professional bodies (Ha ha) support our

profession ? Over the years I have lost my confidence in their support (total

lack of) and ridiculous business studies modules at universities, which are

mostly useless for the real world.

The Chiropractic course was stopped by their association because it was deemed

inappropriate for their profession, not hands-on enough for their requirements.

Why can't we have such support?

It makes me so sad (and angry) that we actually have the power to do something

useful in healthcare, and yet there is no-one who is really dedicated, that I

know of (please prove me wrong), to supporting our profession/ craft and allows

the media to go on and on repeating, ad nauseum and infinitum unchecked, putting

out nonsense about our having a lack of research, our being unprofessional,

poisoning people etc. etc.

I am on crutches (for a year now) because of medical negligence, my best friend

is dying because of medical negligence, and I know this to be true because

alongside my studies I had to work as a private and NHS medical/research

secretary to support myself. I find that most university teachers (but

definitely NOT all) cannot be bothered/are afraid (?!) to speak out and speak

up. When I was at University of Westminster (when they first started their CAM

programmes) as part of my studies, I had telephoned a TV station about the fact

that a doctor who knew nothing about herbal medicine was giving out advice to

the public. The tutors straight away wanted to know who had called and spoken to

the TV station. When I said that it was me, still a student, they turned away

and ignored me. I call that a total lack of support for the profession. Medical

herbalism was formally recognised BEFORE the BMA or GMC even existed. So,

everyone, speak up or write and complain about those who think we are quacks and

charlatans.

Thank you for reading this rant but someone has to do it.

Blessings to all of you,

>

> Who heard Prof Theo Raynor yesterday morning on Radio 4 talking about the

dangers of herbal medicine, especially Gingko biloba and advising that the best

person to get information on herbal supplements was a Pharmacist, unsurprising

if you read his university staff profile

http://ulpd.leeds.ac.uk/profiles/XMLview_profile_direct.asp?PersonID=2852

> I would like to see someone from one of our professional bodies challenge this

and question their editorial policy. Clearly the best person to advise on herbal

medicine is a Medical Herbalist, we need a right of reply and to represent our

profession.

>

[Guest guest]

Oh Sally, very well said, exactlly what I was thinking and you said it for me

and probably a great many of us.

You are so right, it is appalling that we have to be so disresepctful to our

wonderful healing modality by playing the herbs are dangerous game !!

best wishes

Jacqui

> >> Who heard Prof Theo Raynor yesterday morning on Radio 4 talking about the

dangers of herbal medicine, especially Gingko biloba and advising that the best

person to get information on herbal supplements was a Pharmacist, unsurprising

if you read his university staff profile

http://ulpd.leeds.ac.uk/profiles/XMLview_profile_direct.asp?PersonID=2852

> >> I would like to see someone from one of our professional bodies challenge

this and question their editorial policy. Clearly the best person to advise on

herbal medicine is a Medical Herbalist, we need a right of reply and to

represent our profession.

> >>

> >

> >

> >

> > ------------------------------------

> >

> > List Owner: Graham White, MNIMH

[Guest guest]

Dear

I was very moved by your words too, and can empathise with your status. I

believe in due course that something great will happen within herbal medicine.

Things are cyclical in nature and eventually we will be heard ! It is only our

diligience as caring practitioners and brilliant herbalists that will eventually

save the day.

We are being kept in a constant state of fear by those supposedly 'in charge',

whether teachers, PA's ,governement etc. I am sure the teachers have to 'toe the

party line' as it were, it was much the same in my days at westminster. But

speaking to other herbalists privately away from all this upheavel, a different

picture is emerging. We must reclaim herbal medicine and speak about it in a

positive light wherever we can and to whoever, and it is the vigilance of all of

you wonderful people that will make a difference in the end.

Blessings to you all in these volatile times

Jacqui

> >> Who heard Prof Theo Raynor yesterday morning on Radio 4 talking about the

dangers of herbal medicine, especially Gingko biloba and advising that the best

person to get information on herbal supplements was a Pharmacist, unsurprising

if you read his university staff profile

http://ulpd.leeds.ac.uk/profiles/XMLview_profile_direct.asp?PersonID=2852

> >> I would like to see someone from one of our professional bodies challenge

this and question their editorial policy. Clearly the best person to advise on

herbal medicine is a Medical Herbalist, we need a right of reply and to

represent our profession.

> >>

> >

> >

> >

> > ------------------------------------

> >

> > List Owner: Graham White, MNIMH