sCAM: interesting development in South Africa?

[Mojo]

The complementary medicine industry in South Africa is apparently making a call for regulation of sCAM: 'Medicine cowboys' will be made to swallow new rules

The Health Products Association admits freely that a gap in the legislation governing the burgeoning complementary medicines industry has left an opening for people intent on making money, without the science to back up their claims.

...

Now the Health Products Association has announced a self-monitoring programme in a bid to exclude "those who are going to destroy our business through unethical behaviour", said association chairman Dr Alan Tomlinson.


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"Currently, there are no regulations in South Africa for complementary medicines, which is alarming, although there are still some common law restraints," Tomlinson said.

And why are there no regulations in place?

Although the national Department of Health did draft regulations in respect of complementary medicine in 2004, these were rejected as highly inappropriate by the industry.

A complementary medicines stakeholders committee, established the same year, submitted a 600-page rebuttal in response.

So is this "self-monitoring programme" just an attempt to forestall effective regulation by the government?

 

[Donn]

It sounds like the Alliance of Tooth Fairies is upset about the Tooth Pixies muscling in on their turf.

They are buzzing about the government, trying to get the "cowboys" outlawed, and everyone just assumes they are honest, real medicine, law of physics abiding folks themselves...

The Health Products Association admits freely that a gap in the legislation governing the burgeoning complementary medicines industry has left an opening for people intent on making money, without the science to back up their claims.

Sounds like the Tooth Fairies (The Health Products Association) use the same damn gap.
And the science to back their claims? What science?

Hey, my local pharmacy has a cute character they use to advertise stuff in-store. His name? "Placebo Pete". He flogs sCAM as well as real medicine. Very even handed...