Hi Scott,

Thank you for taking these questions. I’m hoping you can give us some insight into what pharmacists think about an issue that has bothered me for quite a while.

Considering that pharmacies are an important part of our health care system, why are so many pharmacies selling a highly addictive, carcinogenic product that is by far the leading preventable cause of death in Canada? Is there anything pharmacists or the public can do to stop the sale of cigarettes at the same locations where health care professionals like yourself dispense medication to treat cancer and heart disease.

Earlier this year the Australian Skeptics wrote an open letter to their pharmacists about the sale of ear candles. They pointed out that “Health Canada has banned [ear candles] in Canada.” and then asked “What next, will you start selling cigarettes?”

I’m glad pharmacies in Canada don’t sell ear candles, but wouldn’t those be far safer than the tobacco products that have killed over 45,000 Canadians a year? [1998 Health Canada numbers]

Is there anything pharmacists or the public can do about this?

Thank you,

-Fred

My comment was made with some puzzlement but with the best intentions. Thank you for your most candid response. Your contention that there is “not an awful lot of good evidence and science based care for pain problems” is sadly well taken. My tenant of seven years died (at the age of 35), last year after about four years of excruciating pain. The aid from her primary care giver was glaringly deficient. Her counsel, to my horror, extended to recommending acupuncture, which squandered her diminishing resources with, naturally, no effect.
If your intention is to cast a finer net and perhaps explore some overlooked modalities, or, to clean up the fraudulent scams from your base, then that seems useful.
Taking you at face value and I have no reason not so to do. (Some from the woo based side are very adept at seeming rational for the right audience, but I’m sure that is not the case here). Using only evidence and science based modalities, abandoning ideas which do not pan out, and taking tentative steps on controversial remedies is… well science! Perhaps this is what alternative medicine could be, a kind of rear guard to the big research groups – but then it wouldn’t be alternative. After all what works is medicine what doesn’t is alternative medicine. The term is poisoned and I’m not sure why you use it. Don’t get me wrong I don’t see anything futile with being a massage therapist, though I personally don’t like to be massaged, but that’s a whole other story, it’s just the idea of hanging on to this tainted association “Alt-medicine” seems redundant. Of course having resourceful people “cross over” to our side must be seen as a victory otherwise we just like the sound of our own voices. It seems like you are firmly on our side in everything but name.
Perhaps in staying in the alternative community we have gained a spy! You might have to change your name, appearance and await orders from James Randi though.
Hope to see you at TAM 8 this summer.
Nicky Garratt

Thanks for the reply, Nicky, and for the vote of confidence, Kennedy.

Actually, Nicky, you’ll be glad to hear that I don’t consider myself to be an “alternative” health professional, and I never identify myself as such except for purposes of irony and subversion! I use it only to get people thinking critically about the term. I am painfully aware that it’s been poisoned, and mainly means “alternative to science-based medicine” and freedom from the irritating burden of being held to a consistent standard of knowledge or a standard of quality care.

Although “alternative” has a few other connotations, some of them perfectly agreeable, it’s fair to say that they have all been more or less drowned out, and are somewhat trivial in any case. When you subtract the anti-science and pseudo-science from alternative medicine, there’s a few pleasant things left over — but not a basis for any one profession, just some values that are essential parts of all health care (like good bedside manner, and the need to emphasize prevention). All this is explored at length in this article, with some piss and vinegar:

http://SaveYourself.ca/alternativetowhat

Also note that I have no idea if I’m “staying in the alternative community.” Will I put my money where my mouth is and actually quit my profession in protest? Because I’m embroiled in a legal situation, unfortunately I won’t say more about this at the moment, but … keep watching.

Regarding Desiree’s statement that there may be massage therapists who believe that they can “cure cancer, multiple sclerosis” and so other serious diseases: true in spirit, but false in the particulars, I think. There are many practices and beliefs prevalent among even the best-trained massage therapies that would irritate any skeptic. However, you’d be hard-pressed to find more than a handful that believe that massage has broad, potent therapeutic effects on major diseases.

The great majority of questionable beliefs, practices and claims in MT are less sensational (i.e. enthusiasm about modalities like reflexology). This is why my profession is so much less controversial than chiropractic: we don’t stick our necks out as far, and that’s why we tend to get a bit of an (often undeserved) pass from skeptics.

i’ve been into punk music for most of my adult life and interested in science most of my entire life. There is a lot of skepticism inherent in punk, but there is also a lot of conspiracy theorys and anti-science rhetoric. I just started a Skeptical Punks group on Facebook. Send me a message if you’re Into punk, science, and skepticism. http://m.facebook.com/?_rdr#!/james.funston?__user=1547535369