GPhC drops probe into homeopathic malaria cure

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has been slammed for failing in its duty as a regulator after dropping a case against homeopaths who allegedly advocated using their clinically unproven treatments as a preventative against malaria.

Sense About Science, the pressure group that first brought the charges, has accused the GPhC of making a "downright shabby and irresponsible"
decision, adding there is hardly any point in regulating pharmacists at all.  

The charges date back to 2006 when an undercover investigation conducted by the BBC and Sense About Science alleged that homeopathic pharmacies were advocating using pills with no active ingredients as an anti-malarial treatment rather than drugs that actually work.

Four-and-a-half years later, the GPhC has said it is dropping the charges because one of the pharmacists concerned had taken remedial action to prevent a recurrence of what happened in 2006 and because if the allegations had been made today they "would fall below the current threshold criteria" for investigation.

However, the GPhC could be on shaky ground.

Despite the supposed "remedial action", the Royal Pharmaceutical Society is said to be "shocked" that one of the pharmacies concerned is still recommending that patients take homeopathic remedies to combat malaria, diphtheria and typhoid, among other serious diseases.

And as for whether the allegations are worthy of investigation, Sense About Science points to the GPhC's own criteria, which state action can be taken against those who are "reckless with the safety and wellbeing of others".

The group points out: "If the [GPhC] does not consider that it is reckless to prescribe magic water to prevent a deadly disease such as malaria then it is hard to imagine what is."

The director of Sense About Science, Tracey Brown, told the BBC: "We may as well have no regulation of pharmacists at all."

Another group, The Nightingale Collaboration, has said it will now submit a new complaint to the GPhC, telling the BBC: "Statutory regulation is there to protect the public. By taking so long to investigate and by dropping these complaints, the GPhC cannot be seen to be fulfilling this vital role." ·