Report of media coverage of Pan pharmaceuticals recall and its implications for ACCM

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Report of media coverage of Pan pharmaceuticals recall and its implications for ACCM

Prepared for the directors of

ACCM

Written by Practitioner

David Stone

02 June 2006

                                        -i-

Executive Summary:

The issue that has emerged and been tracked over the past five months has been the Pan Pharmaceuticals recall. The impact on ACCM has been analysed, conclusions reached and recommendations made.

The modes of researching this issue have been the articles pertaining to the issue retrieved from mass media sources in order to determine the direct (or indirect) influence of the media on ACCM and its publics. Specifically, newspaper articles have been obtained from major general newspapers from Australian and international locations via the LexisNexis database. The publics identified being complimentary health users, those who used complimentary medicines before issue arose, sceptics of complimentary medicine, the therapeutic goods administration, major supplement manufacturers: Cenovis, Nature’s Own, Natural Nutrition, Bio-Organics and Golden Glow. Pharmaceutical manufacturers that also produce supplements such as Sigma and Mayne, not withstanding the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

The article files and summaries presented in the body of the report have enabled us to identify the messages that have been disseminated towards the publics in which ACCM has a vested interest in. The findings of which are that a substantial amount of newspaper articles seemed to give the impression that the Pan ‘issue’ was of the safeness and efficacy of complimentary medicines as opposed to the ‘substandard manufacturing processes’ that the TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) identified. Some however also empathised with complimentary health care organisations and some even reported on the illegality of the recall in New Zealand. In several instances the journalists opinions were pushed and many key words used were of an emotive nature. However, by and large the articles appeared to be of a factual nature.  

        The ultimate goal identified is to raise awareness of the expediency of complimentary health preparations and eventually increase the use and popularity to various extents as outlined in the report.

                                        -ii-

This report recommends a contingency model to be put in place. Furthermore, identified is that the publics integral to the issue are very different and indeed in some instances in direct contrast and as such each appear to require their own model. Explicitly, The model that would suit the pharmaceutical manufacturers and sceptics would be a two-way asymmetrical model relying on ‘scientific persuasion’ as the integral problem that this public appears to have identified in the media for not trusting complimentary medicines is ‘the lack of scientific data available’(Bolt 2003:19). As such this public would find scientific data most worthy. The model that would best suit the Therapeutic Goods Administration would be a two-way symmetrical approach to build a relationship of mutual trust, as this organisation is on whom we rely to ensure that our products continue to remain on the shelves. Those who use complimentary medicines would be best suited to a public information model/two-way asymmetric outlining various ‘truths’ of the safety and efficacy of complimentary medicines to allay fears and incite repeat purchase.  

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TABLE OF CONTENTS                                            Page

1. Executive Summary                                                        i

2. Preamble                                                                        4

3. Article Files and Reports

Article File & Report 1                                                5

Article File & Report 2                                                7

Article File & Report 3                                                9

Article File & Report 4                                                11

Article File & Report 5                                                         13

Article File & Report 6                                                15

Article File & Report 7                                                18

Article File & Report 8                                                19

4. Current Situation                                                        20

5. Recommendations                                                        21

List of References                                                                25

Appendix A                                                                        

                                        

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Issue Brief:

Preamble: The Australian Council of Complementary Medicines (ACCM) has been impacted negatively as a result of the Pan pharmaceuticals/Therapeutic Goods Administration recall. This called into question the safety and effectiveness of complementary medicines. This had further implications for the ACCM’s target publics, i.e. complimentary health users, those who used complimentary medicines before issue arose, sceptics of complimentary medicine, the therapeutic goods administration, major supplement manufacturers: Cenovis, Nature’s Own, Natural Nutrition, Bio-Organics and Golden Glow. Pharmaceutical manufacturers that also produce supplements such as Sigma and Mayne, not withstanding the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

Research was undertaken using the LexisNexis database to obtain preliminary information about other recalls, as well as a broad range of media articles from Australian newspapers such as the Herald Sun, Courier-Mail, Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Articles for background information were also obtained form overseas as Pan Pharmaceuticals contracted to various south-east Asian markets. Further information was gathered on the TGA from the TGA’s website among other sources. Also researched was background information on the UN authority Codex Alimentarius which sets the world standards (for UN member countries) for drugs and complementary medicine. As a result contextual references occur from January to October 2003

                                        -4-

Article File 1: Worried about just what was in pills, Herald Sun, May 2 2003, Author Unknown, page 18

  • People adversely affected from Travacalm ®
  • Iteration of the fact that Travacalm® was the only product to have caused harm
  • Author asserts that safety and efficacy of natural medicines should not be called into question

Article Report 1:

Direction of Coverage for ACCM: This article indicates to readers that the Pan ‘issue’ is not one of the safety and efficacy of complementary medicines but of Pan’s manufacturing problems. It gives a generally neutral/positive view of the complementary health industry, i.e. it uses no emotive language in reference to the recalled medicines and in one instance details the benefits of such remedies. It also indirectly jeers the TGA’s recall of the 1647 natural supplements and refers to the fact that Travacalm® is a pharmaceutical good, not an herb or complementary preparation.

Factual Accuracy:   Of the facts stated, the article is factually accurate.

Point Of View: The one opinion referred to directly was that of Anvi Sali a professor at Swinburne University. The judgment of the credible source states that Travacalm® is a drug combination and clearly separates it from natural therapies. On the reverse side it does use interviewed material from emotive users of the drug.

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Additional Information:   This article was positioned on page 19 of the Herald Sun and clearly labelled an opinion. The publics identified appeared only to be users of Travacalm® and indirectly users of complimentary medicines. As such The articles is slightly inappropriate in the academic sense, it does not really dissert the issues surrounding the ‘Pan crisis’ but adopts more of a evening ‘current affairs’ approach by talking to people affected by an issue rather than explaining the issue itself.

Interpretation: This gives an almost glowing view of complimentary health care, articles such as these should rally more ...

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