Comments on: Boots the Quack http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2006/08/boots-quack.html Experiments and Thoughts on Quackery, Health Beliefs and Pseudoscience Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:47:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Rtved http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2006/08/boots-quack.html#comment-14378 Rtved Mon, 21 Feb 2011 01:04:06 +0000 http://www.quackometer.net/wpblog/2006/08/boots-the-quack.html#comment-14378 The Claims Made By BOOTS on their Homeopathic preparations are against the Principles of Homeopathy. In Homeopathy There are No Treatments for specific Diseases.One Cannot say So and so Homeopathy preparation can be used against any specific diseases. There is every Possibility that People could get Hurt if they Use these preps instead of Getting Treated By a Doctor. The Claims Made By BOOTS on their Homeopathic preparations are against the Principles of Homeopathy.

In Homeopathy There are No Treatments for specific Diseases.One Cannot say So and so Homeopathy preparation can be used against any specific diseases.

There is every Possibility that People could get Hurt if they Use these preps instead of Getting Treated By a Doctor.

]]> By: G http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2006/08/boots-quack.html#comment-11675 G Sun, 02 May 2010 15:51:10 +0000 http://www.quackometer.net/wpblog/2006/08/boots-the-quack.html#comment-11675 I have to say I am amazed at how disparaging the previous posts have been with regards to Boots. Let me make it clear that I am a scientist, and believe in no way that homeopathic remedies are efficacious in treating disease, which, mentioned previously has been proven in well organised clinical trials and meta-analyses, and I agree wholeheartedly that these tablets are nothing more than expensive sugar pills, but why do the previous posts target Boots? They account for a tiny proportion of the store and are in no way labelled as being a medicine with proven efficacy. The very fact that they are in the complementary therapy section should flag this in a person’s mind. Also, I would bet that you would be very hard pushed to go into a Boots store, ask for advice from the pharmacist on these products and actually be recommended one of them for treating an illness. I can almost guarantee you would first be recommended an alternative product from the traditional medicines as apposed to either homeopathic or complementary medicines. I would like to ask how many other shops stocking and selling these products have health care professionals available for advice, who fully understand these items, as I’m sure training courses in other stores such as Holland and Barrett are in no way comparable to a five year course to become a pharmacist. Perhaps we should also transfer some responsibility onto the patients; these are adults with access to information on the packs, trained healthcare assistants, technicians and pharmacists all within the store, as well as a vast wealth of information on the internet, and many recent news stories mean if patients continue to buy these products despite all this available information, then a company should not be held responsible. I have also not seen anywhere in this post anything about the recent court case in which a homeopathic swine flu remedy was produced and the producers taken to court which is of far more importance than Boots selling these products. Finally, perhaps these anti-Boots people should perhaps focus on educating the public about homeopathy, and focus on other pseudo-sciences such as crystal healing, nutritionists etc… on a final note, suppose I had a patient with non specific chronic pain, who swore by homeopathic remedies, would you prefer these believers to have their pain controlled by sugar pills, or traditional analgesics with their huge side effect profiles? Do not ever underestimate just how deep the placebo effect goes. In essence, let the believers carry on buying these pills, but do so responsibly with adequate professional help and advice available. I have to say I am amazed at how disparaging the previous posts have been with regards to Boots. Let me make it clear that I am a scientist, and believe in no way that homeopathic remedies are efficacious in treating disease, which, mentioned previously has been proven in well organised clinical trials and meta-analyses, and I agree wholeheartedly that these tablets are nothing more than expensive sugar pills, but why do the previous posts target Boots? They account for a tiny proportion of the store and are in no way labelled as being a medicine with proven efficacy. The very fact that they are in the complementary therapy section should flag this in a person’s mind. Also, I would bet that you would be very hard pushed to go into a Boots store, ask for advice from the pharmacist on these products and actually be recommended one of them for treating an illness. I can almost guarantee you would first be recommended an alternative product from the traditional medicines as apposed to either homeopathic or complementary medicines. I would like to ask how many other shops stocking and selling these products have health care professionals available for advice, who fully understand these items, as I’m sure training courses in other stores such as Holland and Barrett are in no way comparable to a five year course to become a pharmacist. Perhaps we should also transfer some responsibility onto the patients; these are adults with access to information on the packs, trained healthcare assistants, technicians and pharmacists all within the store, as well as a vast wealth of information on the internet, and many recent news stories mean if patients continue to buy these products despite all this available information, then a company should not be held responsible. I have also not seen anywhere in this post anything about the recent court case in which a homeopathic swine flu remedy was produced and the producers taken to court which is of far more importance than Boots selling these products. Finally, perhaps these anti-Boots people should perhaps focus on educating the public about homeopathy, and focus on other pseudo-sciences such as crystal healing, nutritionists etc… on a final note, suppose I had a patient with non specific chronic pain, who swore by homeopathic remedies, would you prefer these believers to have their pain controlled by sugar pills, or traditional analgesics with their huge side effect profiles? Do not ever underestimate just how deep the placebo effect goes. In essence, let the believers carry on buying these pills, but do so responsibly with adequate professional help and advice available.

]]> By: cash box magic http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2006/08/boots-quack.html#comment-11429 cash box magic Mon, 19 Apr 2010 22:37:00 +0000 http://www.quackometer.net/wpblog/2006/08/boots-the-quack.html#comment-11429 Well, that is my first visit to your blog! We are a group of volunteers and also starting a new initiative in a community in the exact same niche. Your blog provided us valuable information to work on. You've done a marvellous task! Well, that is my first visit to your blog! We are a group of volunteers and also starting a new initiative in a community in the exact same niche. Your blog provided us valuable information to work on. You’ve done a marvellous task!

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2006/08/boots-quack.html#comment-7287 Anonymous Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:48:00 +0000 http://www.quackometer.net/wpblog/2006/08/boots-the-quack.html#comment-7287 As for me, I saw your critic because I was looking for a shop that sends homeopathy. Well, I must tell you that I have a lot of cystitis which is very uncomfortable and very difficult to treat. I've tried everything until someday I found a homeopathic treatment that really releived and treat my symptoms! <br/>It is not because you find homeopathy unuseful for you, and a number of people like you too, that everyone have to think so and that shop have to stop sending it. I completely agree with boots telling you that they want to maintain a choice for people who find that alternative medicine works... As for me, I saw your critic because I was looking for a shop that sends homeopathy. Well, I must tell you that I have a lot of cystitis which is very uncomfortable and very difficult to treat. I’ve tried everything until someday I found a homeopathic treatment that really releived and treat my symptoms!
It is not because you find homeopathy unuseful for you, and a number of people like you too, that everyone have to think so and that shop have to stop sending it. I completely agree with boots telling you that they want to maintain a choice for people who find that alternative medicine works…

]]> By: bill http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2006/08/boots-quack.html#comment-5257 bill Thu, 25 Oct 2007 16:37:00 +0000 http://www.quackometer.net/wpblog/2006/08/boots-the-quack.html#comment-5257 "'Big Pharma' is a word that is pejoratively used to criticise drug companies in their pursuit of profits by their stubborn refusal to embrace alternative thinking."<br/><br/>Is THAT why? Researching through the internet I've always thought that most criticism of drug companies had little to do with alternative thinking and a great deal to do with such matters as leaked internal documents, suppression of negative trial data, conflicts of interest, a reluctance by physicians to accept that they have no legal right (under protective orders) to be informed of risks to which they may unknowingly subject their patients, and the inability of patients to understand that when it is in a drug maker's best financial interest to withhold vital information from physicians and the public, patients have no legal right to health or in many cases, to life itself.<br/><br/>Of the merger, Pfizer would have more experience of the above. “‘Big Pharma’ is a word that is pejoratively used to criticise drug companies in their pursuit of profits by their stubborn refusal to embrace alternative thinking.”

Is THAT why? Researching through the internet I’ve always thought that most criticism of drug companies had little to do with alternative thinking and a great deal to do with such matters as leaked internal documents, suppression of negative trial data, conflicts of interest, a reluctance by physicians to accept that they have no legal right (under protective orders) to be informed of risks to which they may unknowingly subject their patients, and the inability of patients to understand that when it is in a drug maker’s best financial interest to withhold vital information from physicians and the public, patients have no legal right to health or in many cases, to life itself.

Of the merger, Pfizer would have more experience of the above.

]]> By: bill http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2006/08/boots-quack.html#comment-5256 bill Thu, 25 Oct 2007 16:04:00 +0000 http://www.quackometer.net/wpblog/2006/08/boots-the-quack.html#comment-5256 You certainly have your hands full now, considering that quacks from the pharmaceutical industry have merged with Boots, particularly as the new quackery addition has a long record of criminal convictions!<br/><br/>Very clever of you on the logo in your post. Which one did you use to make it up, Boots or Pfizer? You certainly have your hands full now, considering that quacks from the pharmaceutical industry have merged with Boots, particularly as the new quackery addition has a long record of criminal convictions!

Very clever of you on the logo in your post. Which one did you use to make it up, Boots or Pfizer?

]]> By: coracle http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2006/08/boots-quack.html#comment-4752 coracle Wed, 06 Dec 2006 15:56:00 +0000 http://www.quackometer.net/wpblog/2006/08/boots-the-quack.html#comment-4752 Boots the AlChemist is the term I prefer Boots the AlChemist is the term I prefer

]]> By: Sean Kehoe http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2006/08/boots-quack.html#comment-4748 Sean Kehoe Thu, 23 Nov 2006 20:45:00 +0000 http://www.quackometer.net/wpblog/2006/08/boots-the-quack.html#comment-4748 Tried contacting boots to ask what testing they carried out in order to be able to claim that their homeopathic snoring remedy is effective in 4 out of 5 cases. They refused to tell me how this was carried out as it's 'commercially sensitive information'.<br /><br />Of course, they gave me the same crap regards their stuff being legal. Seems that the only way to stop Boots from selling this shite will be to outlaw homeopathy. Considering the woo woo nature of the government right now, that seems very unlikely.<br /><br />Incidentally, some people who have blogged about Boots have been receiving visits from a company that is alleged to be doing PR work for Boots. Tried contacting boots to ask what testing they carried out in order to be able to claim that their homeopathic snoring remedy is effective in 4 out of 5 cases. They refused to tell me how this was carried out as it’s ‘commercially sensitive information’.

Of course, they gave me the same crap regards their stuff being legal. Seems that the only way to stop Boots from selling this shite will be to outlaw homeopathy. Considering the woo woo nature of the government right now, that seems very unlikely.

Incidentally, some people who have blogged about Boots have been receiving visits from a company that is alleged to be doing PR work for Boots.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2006/08/boots-quack.html#comment-4711 Anonymous Thu, 31 Aug 2006 22:42:00 +0000 http://www.quackometer.net/wpblog/2006/08/boots-the-quack.html#comment-4711 Don't you mean a Nobel prize in Chemistry and Physics as well? Don’t you mean a Nobel prize in Chemistry and Physics as well?

]]> By: Bronze Dog http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2006/08/boots-quack.html#comment-4707 Bronze Dog Tue, 29 Aug 2006 16:13:00 +0000 http://www.quackometer.net/wpblog/2006/08/boots-the-quack.html#comment-4707 <a HREF="http://rockstarramblings.blogspot.com/2006/05/doggerel-3-youre-just-insert-evil.html" REL="nofollow" rel="nofollow">Weclome to Shillland.</a> Weclome to Shillland.

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