Re: Swine Fever Profiteering
Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2009 10:49 am
I quite agree, Dana. The pharmacies have had to agree to the selling of med pots with good grace but in the case of a newly produced remedy with all the costs fresh in the mind, it is asking a lot! In a profession where many (most?) do not make a lot of money those that do attract a lot of flack in spite of the fact that those same people are often the ones who contribute much. I don't use Ainsworths much but they do often stock small remedies, especially nosodes, that are not available elsewhere. There can't be much profit in these things when they are only asked for once every few years!
Having said that, I do use med pots myself (but have resisted machines) and I regularly criticise Sankaran for the proliferation of expensive and rather repetitive books! Very poor value for money in comparison with some others!
Of course we want to keep our charges down - my own practice has been largely amongst the less affluent section of the community and I like it that way. And we have inherited the (excellent) principle of not charging separately for remedies. Separating prescription from profit is essential if we are to have any credibility. I have considered keeping my prices down by the couple of quid the remedies (incl p&p) cost me and getting people to order direct from the pharmacy. But what happens then in an emergency if you have no remedies or if you have to keep represcribing between appointments? Most of my patients can pick up a remedy from me the same day - few could from a pharmacy.
It might help establish the true cost and value of remedies for patients,though, and help the pharmacies at the same time. With hundreds and hundreds of med pots in the cupboard I am hardly going to change now but wonder what others do/think.
I would also agree about Boiron's research and education record - Reckewegs do that, too, I believe and get little credit.
UK practitioners can get an Non Orthodox Practitioners Licence pretty cheaply and that enables them to use med pots for patients legally. They are not supposed to sell kits and packs on it, but many do. Something else I imagine the pharmacies get a bit fed up about when compliance with their own legal and professional obligations is so expensive.
Theresa
Dana wrote:
Re: Swine Fever "Profiteering "
Posted by: "Dana Ullman" dullman@igc.org
Mon Apr 27, 2009 2:24 pm (PDT)
Dear fellow appreciators of homeopathy...
First, separate from the issue on whether homeopathic doses of Swine
Flu will or will not be effective in preventing it are other legal and
ethical issues about dispensing it, as James desires, from a "medicating
potency."
It is interesting to note that James is upset that he cannot
purchase a medicating potency of the "Swine Flu" remedy from Ainsworth.
What will this remedy cost him? Probably around $15-$20 (10-13
pounds)...and then, he wants to be able to use this medicine to medicate
pellets for 10 or 20 or 100 or 200 patients? Personally, I would want ALL
of these people to be support homeopathic pharmacies...and local homeopaths.
I look forward to the day that those of us involved in homeopathy
will WANT our drug manufacturers to be successful...when they will actually
make reasonable profits so that they can use them to fund research and fund
educational programs.
I find it strange that Susan refers to Boiron as a "pseudo-pharma
company." They probably devote more money to homeopathic research than any
other company, and they support homeopathic organizations and various
educational programs. I certainly don't see significant financial support
for homeopathic research OR even for homeopathic organizations coming from
homeopaths.
As for legal issues, American homeopaths who use a "medicating
potency" to create separate bottles are committing a "federal felony" for
"manufacturing drugs without a drug manufacturing license." Doing so
creates potential problems for you...but even more important are the ethical
problems of not supporting homeopathic pharmacies.
We homeopaths are a strange lot. I sincerely hope that we can look
for ways to support homeopathic manufacturers, organizations, and
eduacational efforts rather than to condemn "profit-making." Because there
are NO (!) homeopathic manufacturers that are FLUSH with profit, condemning
the little profit that they make is a tad strange and is ultimately
counter-productive.
Finally, this weekend I attended a special memorial service to
MICHAEL QUINN, RPh, the founder of Hahnemann Labs. Hahnemann Labs'
medicines are much more expensive than other homeopathic pharmacies in the
US, and yet, I and many of the best homeopaths in the US buy a lot of
medicines from them because we want to support their efforts to create
quality medicines and to support their efforts to grow homeopathy. Let's
STOP always looking for the LOWEST prices for everything, and let's support
those companies and organizations that help to grow homeopathy...
Dana Ullman, MPH
Homeopathic Educational Services
2124 Kittredge St.
Berkeley, CA. 94704
(510)649-0294
(510)649-1955 (fax)
dullman@igc.org OR dana@homeopathic.com
http://www.homeopathic.com
Having said that, I do use med pots myself (but have resisted machines) and I regularly criticise Sankaran for the proliferation of expensive and rather repetitive books! Very poor value for money in comparison with some others!
Of course we want to keep our charges down - my own practice has been largely amongst the less affluent section of the community and I like it that way. And we have inherited the (excellent) principle of not charging separately for remedies. Separating prescription from profit is essential if we are to have any credibility. I have considered keeping my prices down by the couple of quid the remedies (incl p&p) cost me and getting people to order direct from the pharmacy. But what happens then in an emergency if you have no remedies or if you have to keep represcribing between appointments? Most of my patients can pick up a remedy from me the same day - few could from a pharmacy.
It might help establish the true cost and value of remedies for patients,though, and help the pharmacies at the same time. With hundreds and hundreds of med pots in the cupboard I am hardly going to change now but wonder what others do/think.
I would also agree about Boiron's research and education record - Reckewegs do that, too, I believe and get little credit.
UK practitioners can get an Non Orthodox Practitioners Licence pretty cheaply and that enables them to use med pots for patients legally. They are not supposed to sell kits and packs on it, but many do. Something else I imagine the pharmacies get a bit fed up about when compliance with their own legal and professional obligations is so expensive.
Theresa
Dana wrote:
Re: Swine Fever "Profiteering "
Posted by: "Dana Ullman" dullman@igc.org
Mon Apr 27, 2009 2:24 pm (PDT)
Dear fellow appreciators of homeopathy...
First, separate from the issue on whether homeopathic doses of Swine
Flu will or will not be effective in preventing it are other legal and
ethical issues about dispensing it, as James desires, from a "medicating
potency."
It is interesting to note that James is upset that he cannot
purchase a medicating potency of the "Swine Flu" remedy from Ainsworth.
What will this remedy cost him? Probably around $15-$20 (10-13
pounds)...and then, he wants to be able to use this medicine to medicate
pellets for 10 or 20 or 100 or 200 patients? Personally, I would want ALL
of these people to be support homeopathic pharmacies...and local homeopaths.
I look forward to the day that those of us involved in homeopathy
will WANT our drug manufacturers to be successful...when they will actually
make reasonable profits so that they can use them to fund research and fund
educational programs.
I find it strange that Susan refers to Boiron as a "pseudo-pharma
company." They probably devote more money to homeopathic research than any
other company, and they support homeopathic organizations and various
educational programs. I certainly don't see significant financial support
for homeopathic research OR even for homeopathic organizations coming from
homeopaths.
As for legal issues, American homeopaths who use a "medicating
potency" to create separate bottles are committing a "federal felony" for
"manufacturing drugs without a drug manufacturing license." Doing so
creates potential problems for you...but even more important are the ethical
problems of not supporting homeopathic pharmacies.
We homeopaths are a strange lot. I sincerely hope that we can look
for ways to support homeopathic manufacturers, organizations, and
eduacational efforts rather than to condemn "profit-making." Because there
are NO (!) homeopathic manufacturers that are FLUSH with profit, condemning
the little profit that they make is a tad strange and is ultimately
counter-productive.
Finally, this weekend I attended a special memorial service to
MICHAEL QUINN, RPh, the founder of Hahnemann Labs. Hahnemann Labs'
medicines are much more expensive than other homeopathic pharmacies in the
US, and yet, I and many of the best homeopaths in the US buy a lot of
medicines from them because we want to support their efforts to create
quality medicines and to support their efforts to grow homeopathy. Let's
STOP always looking for the LOWEST prices for everything, and let's support
those companies and organizations that help to grow homeopathy...
Dana Ullman, MPH
Homeopathic Educational Services
2124 Kittredge St.
Berkeley, CA. 94704
(510)649-0294
(510)649-1955 (fax)
dullman@igc.org OR dana@homeopathic.com
http://www.homeopathic.com