Toothless claims of ‘quack’ medicines Shops avoid saying homeopathic remedy actually works

HIGH street stores are selling supposed health remedies even though there’s no evidence that they do any good.

The homeopathic products include ones aimed at babies, such as Teetha for teething pain that’s stocked by Boots and Superdrug.

This has sparked a running battle on social media, with critics accusing the stores of profiting from consumer ignorance.

Homeopathic products are treatments that are so diluted that many contain no active ingredients whatsover.

One Twitter poster photographed Teetha on a shelf in Superdrug and wrote: “Straight up con. Shouldn’t be selling it. Water + magic = water.”

Superdrug replied by pointing out that Teetha is licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, the MHRA.

It added: “We aim to offer variety for all customers so they are able to make a decision on what they wish to buy.”

That prompted another critic to hit back: “Licensed is not the same as works. What evidence do you have for its efficacy?”

Like Superdrug, Boots replied that the MHRA has deemed the product to be safe.

That provoked the response from another critic on Twitter: “The drug itself is ‘safe’ because it doesn’t do anything, but suggesting a customer buys it and not something that DOES work is immoral.” Another Tweeted: “Homeopathy is make-believe medicine.”

And the original poster @kevinbradshawuk, stated: “It’s not about choice, it’s about informed choice.

You selling homeopathy gives it false legitimacy. You’re effectively tricking customers.”

The charity the Good Thinking Society, whose mission is debunking quackery, takes a strong line on this.

“The overwhelming majority of doctors and scientists advise against homeopathy,” it says. “This is because the best available evidence suggests that it is likely to be a waste of hope, money and time.”

The UK homeopathic market is worth around £213million a year, and the leading manufacturer with an annual turnover of more than £42million is A Nelson & Co Ltd, which makes Teetha.

I invited the company to respond to claims that Teetha and similar products are a con, expecting it to show me evidence purporting to prove that they work.

It didn’t provide any. All the company gave me was a brief statement that Teetha “conforms to current government policy on the licensing of medicines”, while referring me to The Homeopathy Research Institute.

Institute spokeswoman Rachel Roberts insisted: “Critics of homeopathy who claim that it is a ‘con’ completely ignore the growing body of rigorous scientific evidence which demonstrates that homeopathic medicines produce real clinical and biological effects.”

She added that “hundreds of thousands of doctors” prescribe it – a figure that probably needs challenging – and six million people in the UK use it “because it works for them”.

But some High Street chains such as Well Pharmacy, which has 780 outlets, won’t have homeopathic products on their shelves.

“Well Pharmacy follows the guidance set forth by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Medicines Ethics and Practice which states that there is no scientific or clinical evidence to support the efficacy of homeopathic products,” it says.

“Whilst we are happy to order and supply homeopathic products for customers who request them, we do not vouch for the efficacy of these products.”

ON SALE: Critics have attacked homeopathic products such Teetha