A complementary debate
September 29, 2011
THE vitriol against Blackmores
and pharmacists in the wake of its
Companions range release (PD 22
Sep) is undeserved, according to
company Chairman Marcus
Blackmore.
Speaking out in defence of the
company Blackmore said that the
range is backed by strong scientific
evidence, and that the “inference
that complementary medicines are
not evidence-based, safe or
important to general health is
fundamentally incorrect”.
The Companions range, according
to Blackmore, was developed in
response to specific consumer
needs and “any criticism of their
potential benefit highlights the
need for further healthcare
professional education on
medicine-related nutrient
deficiencies”.
“There’s no intention for these
products to interfere with the
doctor’s prescription,” he said.
“The drugs will treat the disease,
the supplements will address the
nutrient deficiencies,” he added.
Two in three households use
some form of complementary
medicine, according to Blackmore,
who added that Australian
customers are well protected by
one of the strictest regulatory
systems in the world, which
requires manufacturers (including
Blackmores) to hold evidentiary
support for their product claims.
Blackmore also addressed
questions over the GuildCare
prompt system and accusations of
upselling medications, saying he
was saddened that anyone would
suggest Blackmores or the
pharmacy profession would force
the Companions range on anyone
who did not need them, or that the
products would provide no benefit.
“I’ve worked alongside the
pharmacy profession for more than
50 years and, in my opinion, a
pharmacist would only recommend
a product to a customer if it were
appropriate,” he said.
“No one wants to take any
medicine that they don’t have a
need for and this is against the
philosophical values of
Blackmores,” he added.
MEANWHILE the Pharmacist
Coalition for Health Reform has
slammed the Blackmores/Guild
partnership, saying that
pharmacists, doctors, allied health
professionals and the government
should come to an agreement on
what medicines could be included
as prompts on computer systems.
A spokesperson for the National
Australian Pharmacy Students’
Association, Joseph Monteith, also
added to the debate, saying that “a
computer program recommending
a brand of medicines without
taking into consideration their
patient history should not be
adopted in community
pharmacies”.
The Pharmaceutical Society of
Australia has also said that it has
arranged a meeting with
Blackmores this week to discuss the
matter, adding that “pharmacists at
all times act in the best interests of
consumers and do not act with
commercial gain as the primary
motive”.
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