Fwd: Please help protect our rights to access homeopathy

[Guest guest]

This is scandalous...

---------- Forwarded message ----------Date: May 20, 2012 6:26 PM

Subject: Please help protect our rights to access homeopathyTo: " Carol Boroughs "

Hello friends and patients, I am writing to you to ask for your urgent help in protecting our rights to choose to use homeopathy.

A recent review of the Medicines Act 1968 has resulted in a number of proposed changes which are due to be put before the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments for approval in late May/early June for implementation in July.

If these proposals come into force without modification there will be very serious implications for all homeopaths, their patients and members of the public who currently buy remedies and self prescribe as described below:

 1.You would no longer able to get homeopathic medicines by phone or online

To get any unlicensed homeopathic medicine a face-to-face consultation would be required at a registered pharmacy.  Unlicensed medicines number in the thousands and make up the majority of homeopathic prescriptions, while there are only 50 licensed homeopathic medicines.  This will also mean you cannot legally buy unlicensed homeopathic medicines online or over the phone as you currently do. (These remedies are unlicensed medicines because they are deemed so safe that they do not require a licence).

 2. Homeopaths would not be able to dispense or prescribe medicines

Homeopathic practitioners would not be able to dispense unlicensed homeopathic medicines to their patients. This arises because homeopaths are not recognised by this law as being supplementary prescribers and it will be illegal for homeopathic pharmacies to supply them with the essential (unlicensed) medicines required for their patients.

This effectively means that I will not be able to dispense any remedies to you.  3. Patients would have to get homeopathic medicines personally at a handful of licensed homeopathic pharmacies in Britain

Hundreds of thousands of people who currently have prescriptions filled for unlicensed homeopathic medicines will be unable to obtain their urgent medicines. The estimated 6 million users of homeopathy in Britain cannot be expected to be supplied medicines face-to-face by only five licensed premises. 

 Sadly, this is not just more homeopathy bashing or scaremongering. It is a very real threat to my right to practise and your right to choose to be treated by a homeopath as well as to access the full range of homeopathic  medicines which have been freely available for over 200 years.

 Only a small change to Section 10 of the proposed new Medicines Act is required to allow freedom to dispense remedies and could also overcome the need to buy homeopathic remedies face-to-face which is unworkable. 

  Please take action urgently

PLEASE write to you MP about this. Please ask him/her to help protect your right to choose homeopathic medicine by urging the Health Minister to ensure the changes are made to ensure your existing access to homeopathy.

Personalised letters are best. Tell your MP how much you value homeopathy and your right to access it as you do now.  Make sure you put your full name and address on the letter even if you email it.

 You can identify the name of your MP by using this website: http://findyourmp.parliament.uk/

 Please also forward this email to anyone else you know who may have benefitted from homeopathy.

 I am keeping positive that we can turn this round but during the consultation process the voice of homeopaths has so far been ignored. We need all the millions of people like you who use homeopathy to stand up and be counted now. We need to leave our elected representatives in no doubt about our right to access homeopathy.

 Thank you for your help, 

Very best wishesCarol Boroughs, BSc.(Homeopathy) LCHE MARHRegistered Homeopath

   Carol Boroughs BSc (Hons) Homeopathy, LCHE, MARH

Registered  Homeopathhttp://www.enfieldhomeopathy.co.uk/index.html

Telephone 020 8351 0932 or 07957 332215