Is it OK for pharmacists to passively sell products that they know don’t work? What about to praise those products? What about to allow other, non-pharmacist employees at a pharmacy to do so?
Compare: there are bunch of companies selling devices that they claim will improve gas mileage on your car. The trouble: they don’t work. Is it honourable, or dishonourable, to sell such devices? If your local automotive supply store sold these, would that be OK, based on the claim that “hey, we just want people to have more choices?” Should the standards be higher, or lower, for stores selling healthcare products?
>>>
LINK: Pharmacies flout homeopathy rule (by Farah Hancock, for Newsroom)
Eighteen months after it was introduced, pharmacies continue to ignore a code of ethics that requires them to inform customers if a product has no evidence of efficacy.
One of the guidelines from the code of ethics references states: “Pharmacists must advise patients when scientific support for treatment is lacking.”
Newsroom visited eight Auckland pharmacies last week to enquire about a homeopathic product for sale. These included Life Pharmacy, Unichem and Chemist Warehouse stores as well as independently-owned pharmacies.
Pharmacy staff were asked what they knew about a homeopathic product on their shelves and if it worked.
All failed to share information about the lack of scientific evidence showing the product works…..
What do you think?
Brought to you by:
Business Ethics Highlights 
Recent Comments