A new study titled “Acupuncture, ACC and the Medicines Act” by Society for Science Based Healthcare member Daniel Ryan, published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, exposes the surprising extent of misleading medical claims made on over a hundred New
Can you trust Band-Aids?
Band-Aid is a household name, but can you trust the way they’re promoted? For years Johnson & Johnson, the manufacturers of Band-Aid adhesive bandages, have been making a simple claim about them. If you put a Band-Aid on a cut, it will heal faster than it would have if left uncovered. Specifically, they say it … Continue reading Can you trust Band-Aids? →
Pharmacy ethics: Have your say
The Pharmacy Council has opened consultations on a proposed new code of ethics. Following an initial consultation in 2015 where they’d proposed changing one part of the existing code, the council has since decided the whole code could do with a review. The Pharmacy Council is the regulatory body for pharmacists in New Zealand, set … Continue reading Pharmacy ethics: Have your say →
A Failure to Regulate
New Zealand has several layers of regulation to protect us against misleading health claims. Sometimes they all fail. My struggle against quackery over the last few years has given me some familiarity with the ways we’re protected against it, and with their shortcomings. Misleading people about their healthcare options is something that is clearly unethical. … Continue reading A Failure to Regulate →
State-Approved Health Fraud Scams
A decades old loophole in New Zealand’s patient protection legislation is letting quacks get away with health fraud, right under the regulator’s nose. In New Zealand, patients are protected from health fraud scams by the Medicines Act. This legislation, which is enforced by Medsafe, only allows products making strong health claims to be sold if … Continue reading State-Approved Health Fraud Scams →
Colloidal Silver Blues
Don’t be fooled, colloidal silver sprays and creams won’t benefit your health. In the continuing trend of the New Zealand media advertising ineffective health products as though it’s news, stuff.co.nz has published an article pushing colloidal silver for treating infections and skin conditions. The article quotes a naturopath and sales representative from Skybright Natural Health, … Continue reading Colloidal Silver Blues →
$26m for Acupuncture
Last week, ACC’s spending on alternative therapies was in the media spotlight. There were pieces on both TV3’s Story and Stuff asking the question of whether or not this spending is justified. This was prompted by some new information that’s been released by ACC under the Official Information Act, regarding their funding of acupuncture treatments. … Continue reading $26m for Acupuncture →
Misleading claims common among chiropractors
Most New Zealand chiropractors make misleading claims. Through my role as the chair of the Society for Science Based Healthcare, I see a lot of misleading health claims in advertisements. Many of them are pretty clearly bogus; I’ve seen claims that drinking “harmonized water” is as good as sunscreen and that bacteria make your cells … Continue reading Misleading claims common among chiropractors →
Red Flag for Acupuncture
The Society for Science Based Healthcare has had a complaint upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority against a misleading advertisement for acupuncture. ACC spent more on acupuncture last year than the government expects to spend on the flag referendum, but
Natural Health Store Misleads Consumers Over Homeopathy
The Advertising Standards Authority has ruled that ads for homeopathy from New Zealand natural health store “HealthPost” were misleading. The Society for Science Based Healthcare complained about three advertisements from HealthPost. The ASA has released its decision to uphold two