A homeopathic charity has been banned from referring to conditions including depression, diabetes and infertility on its website by the advertising watchdog.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled Homeopathy UK broke the CAP Code, which requires that marketers must not discourage essential treatment for conditions for which medical supervision should be sought.
The watchdog said the ‘Conditions Directory’ page, which it considered an advertisement, on Homeopathy UK’s website contained clickable links to articles with anecdotal descriptions from doctors detailing how they had applied homeopathic methods to treat the conditions in question.
The charity, previously known as the British Homeopathic Association, argued it ‘did not seek to dismiss conventional medicine or dissuade patients from seeking essential treatment from a medical professional’, the ASA said in its ruling.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled Homeopathy UK broke the CAP Code, which requires that marketers must not discourage essential treatment for conditions for which medical supervision should be sought
Homeopathy UK also said its articles were intended to be informative and helpful to the public and had been written by general practitioners, General Medical Council (GMC) registered doctors and other statutorily regulated health professionals who used homeopathy in their practice where they deemed it appropriate.
The ASA noted the content was written by GMC-registered doctors but said ‘the ad and the articles to which it linked referred to homeopathy in general, rather than treatment by a specific individual’.
‘We understood that there were no minimum professional qualifications required to practice homeopathy, which could result in consumers being advised, diagnosed, or treated for the conditions listed in the ad by a practitioner with no medical qualification,’ the ASA’s ruling stated.
The watchdog said the ‘Conditions Directory’ page (pictured after it was updated), which it considered an advertisement, on Homeopathy UK’s website contained clickable links to articles with anecdotal descriptions from doctors detailing how they had applied homeopathic methods to treat the conditions in question
‘We therefore considered Homeopathy UK would not be able to demonstrate that all such treatment would be conducted under the supervision of a suitably qualified health professional.’
‘The ad must not appear again in the form complained about,’ ASA added.
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‘We told Homeopathy UK to ensure their future marketing communications did not to refer to conditions for which advice should be sought from suitably qualified health professionals.’
Source: Daily Mail
