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Contact:
Primus Hutchinson
Wednesday, December 8, 2004 - The Ministry of Health in association
with a representative body of practitioners of alternative or complementary
medicine in St. Lucia have expressed concern on reports received regarding the
safe use of natural medicine.
As a result, the Ministry has issued a public warning stating that “because a
medicinal product is natural, does not make it absolutely safe”. Ministry
officials also stressed that safety was paramount with the use of any medicinal
product.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Human Services, Family Affairs
and Gender Relations, Fedelis William said the announcement came out of the many
decisions taken at a recent meeting between the Ministry of Health officials and
a representative body of local practitioners of alternative medicine.
According to Mr. Williams, there have been concerns over recognition,
registration and regulation of the practice: “Having said all this, we are aware
that there are genuine persons in the country, who can in fact provide remedies
that work. So, we are not discounting that, but there are quacks among us, so we
have to be very, very careful about those quacks among us”.
“Taking into consideration that in the past, there has not been any legislation
to guide that, we are collecting all the information to advise the Attorney
General to put in place, the appropriate legislation and all the other issues
involved so we can regulate this practice”, Mr. Williams said further.
However, Mr. William contends that legal action can still be taken against one,
under the Pharmacy Act: “The only way we can charge people is under the Pharmacy
Act, if people are dispensing pharmaceuticals. But when people are claiming to
be naturopathic doctors we have no legislation for that”.
The Ministry is advocating due diligence on the part of consumers, stating that
the onus was on consumers of natural remedies to ensure that the practitioners
they visit can demonstrate their qualifications.
Currently, ministry officials, supported by a number of concerned interest
groups are putting together a framework for the recognition, registration and
regulation of alternative or complementary medicine practice in St. Lucia.
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