U.K. Homeopathic Online Claims Challenged In Sweeping Advertising Review

The U.K. advertising regulator asks homeopathic firms to remove online claims that their products can diagnose, treat or help diseases or health conditions.

The Advertising Standards Authority began contacting homeopathic firms after receiving more than 150 complaints from consumers about claims on more than 100 websites.

Consumers began submitting the complaints after the organization’s purview in March was extended from reviewing only paid-for ad content to also include claims posted on all U.K. websites, including advertisers’ own sites (Also see "U.K. Advertising Watchdog Will Monitor Facebook & Twitter Ads Next Year" - HBW Insight, 6 Sep, 2010.).

The Nightingale Collaboration, an advocacy group of U.K. researchers and health-care providers launched this year, likely prompted some consumers to submit complaints about homeopathic claims to ASA. The group encourages consumers to identify and challenge misleading claims in health-care advertising.

According to its website, the group has not decided whether it considers ASA’s response sufficient. “We will need to wait till the ASA completes this mammoth task before deciding if any further project is required,” the group says.

An alternative approach to medicine based on the premise that “like cures like,” homeopathy treats subjects with minute doses of a remedy that would produce in healthy individuals symptoms similar to those of the disease being treated.

In the U.S., homeopathic remedies are regulated as over-the-counter drugs due to the presence of little or no active ingredients. FDA notes on its website that the mechanism of action in homeopathy is unclear, and there is conflicting evidence as to the usefulness of the practice.

ASA does not list the specific parties implicated in its action against misleading homeopathic claims online.

Homeopathic products have crept into the beauty sector with the rise of natural and organic formulations since they leverage highly diluted plant extracts and promote health and well-being from the inside-out.

Gabriel Cosmetics CEO Gabriel DeSantino predicted in February that the next phase of organic growth would be “marrying traditional homeopathic recipes with cosmeceuticals” (Also see "Gabriel Looks To Grow "Edgy" Zuzu Color Line After Certifying Its Organics" - HBW Insight, 21 Feb, 2011.).

In 2008, the National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus recommended that Nature’s Cure discontinue claims overstating the benefits of its acne treatment system, which incorporates a homeopathic tablet, including the assertion that it could “cure” acne (Also see "Nature’s Cure, NAD Disagree On Expectations For Homeopathic Acne Product" - HBW Insight, 10 Mar, 2008.).

ASA Targets Offenders With Letter Campaign

Rather than respond to each consumer complaint individually, ASA sent letters to all firms identified – including both providers of homeopathic health-care services and marketers of over-the-counter remedies – and will later publish guidance for homeopathic firms’ compliance with the U.K. Advertising Codes.

“The high volume of complaints and the number of marketers we need to work with means we’ve taken a different approach to our normal investigation process. We’re now dealing with the complaints as part of a wider investigation project,” ASA says.

The first letter sent out to homeopathic firms explained why ASA was contacting them and what they needed to do next. The second round of letters clarified some questions it received, and the third sought assurances from nonresponsive parties that they would remove problematic claims from their websites.

ASA, which is not a government agency but wields authority recognized by the U.K.’s Office of Fair Trading and Office of Communications, said it “considers there is insufficient robust scientific evidence to support” claims for homeopathic remedies to treat or help specific diseases or health conditions.

It bases its opinion on “the most recent, authoritative and comprehensive review of the scientific evidence by the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee,” ASA says. Because that review covered evidence submitted by “a range of proponents,” including practicing homeopaths and industry groups, ASA says it does not intend to duplicate the data collection process by inviting evidence at this time.

Nevertheless, the Northampton, England-based Society of Homeopaths plans to submit to ASA “the well-established and growing body of research evidence that shows homeopathy to be a safe, clinically-effective and cost-effective option.”

ASA says it will monitor the websites of firms it contacted to determine if the necessary changes are being made. The watchdog does not intend to contact other homeopathic firms that might be identified in future complaints about websites, as it expects the warnings to achieve reforms across the sector.

“We won’t be contacting the owners of any other websites that are brought to our attention. But we will retain their websites’ details for future compliance initiatives if we consider such action to be necessary,” the organization says.

By Malcolm Spicer, Ryan Nelson