Chinese Clinic Rapped For Making False Claims

Main Category: Medical Malpractice / Litigation
Also Included In: Complementary Medicine / Alternative Medicine;  Public Health
Article Date: 10 Aug 2007 - 2:00 PDT

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In an adjudication published recently, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has fully upheld the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) complaints about a company in Maidstone, Kent. The Everwell Chinese Medicine Centre was advertising Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs) and making inaccurate and misleading medicinal claims.

The MHRA raised its concerns with the ASA on 10 January 2007, that the public was at risk from claims being made in a leaflet produced by the company. The leaflet said that its Chinese medicines could treat terminal illnesses, as well as a wide range of other health problems such as ME, MS, paralysis, impotence, infertility, psoriais, arthritis, hypertension, blood pressure, strokes and depression, all of which are serious or prolonged medical conditions. There is no proof that these medicines work. They are not licensed and it is extremely dangerous to make this type of statement.

Richard Woodfield, Head of Herbals Policy at the MHRA, says: "The MHRA remains very concerned that vulnerable members of the public are being misled and their health is being put at risk by the unsubstantiated and unreliable claims made in advertising by some traditional Chinese medicine clinics. Therefore we are very pleased that the ASA has agreed with our concerns and has advised the Everwell Chinese Medicine Centre that they must not advertise or claim to treat these serious conditions in any future promotional material.

We would advise the public to be wary and extra vigilant of any clinic that makes extravagant claims about its herbal medicines. Consumers can find advice on the safe use of herbal medicines on the MHRA website.

1. It is illegal for companies selling TCMs to make written claims about their products. There are no licensed or registered TCMs in the UK, and would therefore be treated as unlicensed medicines. The MHRA examines claims about individual products, whereas the ASA looks at complaints involving companies making unsubstantiated claims and therefore it is able to uphold complaints against treatment and practice as well as products. To view the complaints upheld by the MHRA please visit the MHRA website.

2. The adjudication can be found on the ASA website at http://www.asa.org.uk in the section on non-broadcast adjudications. The British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing are also accessible via the ASA website. The ASA has previously upheld a number of other complaints about traditional Chinese medicines clinics.

3. The MHRA is the government agency responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work, and are acceptably safe. No product is risk-free. Underpinning all our work lie robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits to patients and the public justify the risks. We keep watch over medicines and devices, and take any necessary action to protect the public promptly if there is a problem.

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency