Alternative health practitioners could be fined or jailed for breaching professional standards [Aust - Polidicks

[quote] ALTERNATIVE health practitioners such as homeopaths and healers could be fined or jailed for breaching professional standards, under new powers for Victoria's health watchdog being considered by the state government. The scheme would allow Victoria's Health Services Commissioner to ban or restrict alternative therapists' practices if they breached a statutory code of conduct, and take court action to enforce the orders where necessary. At present commissioner Beth Wilson is limited in her ability to deal with alternative therapists who behave unethically, because they are not regulated by national boards that can remove their right to practise - unlike doctors, nurses and dentists. The problem is highlighted by Noel Campbell, a former dentist found by Victoria's Court of Appeal to have made deceptive and misleading claims about his ability to cure or treat cancer using alternative treatments, including ozone therapy. Mr Campbell has vowed to continue treating patients and said the finding that he had breached fair trading laws - after a two-year investigation by Ms Wilson - only prevented him from advertising his services in a certain way. "I've done the inquiry, his conduct has been found by a court to be misleading and deceptive," Ms Wilson said. "So I want to be able to say, 'here is a prohibition order - you will cease this conduct or you will be punished'. "Many people who offer complementary services do so in an ethical way - but what we are looking at is the ones on the fringes, who are ripoff merchants, who fall into the category of snake oil salesmen and exploit very vulnerable people." The proposal for the new powers - contained in a discussion paper about the future management of health complaints - suggests that Victoria may go ahead with its own scheme to regulate alternative therapists if there is no national scheme. Australian health ministers agreed to investigate a national scheme in 2010 but have failed to reach agreement on how to implement it. Of the 191 complaints Ms Wilson's office received about unregistered health practitioners between 2006 and 2011, 68 were about alternative therapists and 57 about beauticians and laser therapists. Other proposals include: ■ Giving the Health Services Commissioner the ability to issue public warnings and name a practitioner without making a formal report, in cases where doing so may protect the public. ■ Allowing the commissioner to investigate issues that extend beyond a single complaint into public interest matters, and allowing her to act on third-party complaints. ■ Establishing a separate mental health complaints commissioner. In a submission to the review, which closes next Friday, Ms Wilson - who is due to retire at the end of the year - said the commissioner's office had been ''chronically underfunded for staff for some time''. Its 21 staff, at a cost of $2.3 million in 2010-11, compared unfavourably with New South Wales (70 staff, $9.8 million) and Queensland (75, $10.2 million), she said. Related Link: [URL]http://www.health.vic.gov.au/hscrareview/[/URL] Source: [URL]http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/jail-mooted-for-unethical-alternative-therapists-20120729-236ed.html[/URL] [/quote] 'bout time there was some accountability.

Legislation to actually protect people from something dangerous and harmful? In Australia?? My mind is blown.

[QUOTE=Motherfuckers;36998060]Legislation to actually protect people from something dangerous and harmful? In Australia?? My mind is blown.[/QUOTE] What are you talking about?

[QUOTE=Motherfuckers;36998060]Legislation to actually protect people from something dangerous and harmful? In Australia?? My mind is blown.[/QUOTE] You seem to be forgetting the censoring of violent video games. Thank god for that, could you imagine what would happen if they DIDN'T do it?

[QUOTE=stealth_camo;36998084]What are you talking about?[/QUOTE] Normally when you read an article about Australian law making it is in regards to some arbitrary bullshit such as 'refusing classification' to video games.

ffs, it always comes back to that "durr australia can't play violent video games" as the favourite argument for people on the internet to say that australia has shitty policies. it's just completely wrong (super wrong considering we are actually getting a R-rating in the very near future).

Nothing wrong with violent video games, but if you show spray cans, then god help you.

As a skeptic, I'm glad.

[QUOTE=stealth_camo;36998239]ffs, it always comes back to that "durr australia can't play violent video games" as the favourite argument for people on the internet to say that australia has shitty policies. it's just completely wrong (super wrong considering we are actually getting a R-rating in the very near future).[/QUOTE] Not to mention those guilty of this in the first place have already long since retired/been layed off, and as long as Australians stay aware, that kind of shit is not going to happen again.

I wonder if this will include the powerband bullshit. I had a lady trying to sell them in my local shopping center, after looking at the claims on the box and laughing she got hissy but left me alone. She then went on spouting some bullshit to someone next to me and I called her out, long story short I kept asking her what institution did the research to prove the claims, she stated japan and decided to call security on me. She didn't come back for like two weeks but at that point all the claims where marked out with a sharpie and she had move on to 'ion' filtering.

[QUOTE=DireAvenger;36999040]Not to mention those guilty of this in the first place have already long since retired/been layed off, and as long as Australians stay aware, that kind of shit is not going to happen again.[/QUOTE] yeah what a black smear upon our country's record

Homeopathic is by definition a ripoff. Can we just ban that all together?

Hmm, I hope this doesn't affect Naturopathy. I've heard good things about it and my girlfriend swears by it

[QUOTE=WaLLy3K;36999538]Hmm, I hope this doesn't affect Naturopathy. I've heard good things about it and my girlfriend swears by it[/QUOTE] Naturopathy lacks evidence.

[QUOTE=WaLLy3K;36999538]Hmm, I hope this doesn't affect Naturopathy. I've heard good things about it and my girlfriend swears by it[/QUOTE] time to find a new girlfriend

Sounds great when you consider homeopathy and other bullshit practices are going to feel the pressure, but a lot of anti aging clinics fall under alternative health practice and that's going to be a bad thing. A lot of people on testosterone replacement therapy rely on these anti aging clinics purely because they tend to be more open minded about treatment compared to endocrinologists who quite often ignorant of the latest developments in the sector and often refuse treatment if the patients blood work still falls within the known range (despite the fact that the low end of these ranges can be severely compromising on health and quality of life). My opinion of most medical practices isn't high, suffice to say. A lot of the medical centers near me basically operate as large businesses, they are more interested in treatment and multiple sessions than they are in preventative measures and arming the patient with knowledge.

Please apply this to Queensland, I drive near this road where there is this religious healing home and it fucking pisses me off people are wasting good money on something that does shit all.

[QUOTE=Sam Za Nemesis;36998082]They say Australia is upside down or may the world be upside down for Australia?[/QUOTE] Legally, when Australian medical practitioners operate in the northern hemisphere, they're required to do so upside down suspended from the ceiling to make sure they can function just as well as in Australia.

Well, you know what they say. [I]Professionals have standards.[/I]

[QUOTE='[Green];37000786']Well, you know what they say. [I]Professionals have standards.[/I][/QUOTE] I believe in this case it had something to do with being polite, efficient, and having a plan to kill everyone you meet. I guess only true proffesional doctors can do that.

[QUOTE=WaLLy3K;36999538]Hmm, I hope this doesn't affect Naturopathy. I've heard good things about it and my girlfriend swears by it[/QUOTE] No offence mate but I think your girlfriend might be an idiot.

[QUOTE=Lord of Ears;36999565]time to find a new girlfriend[/QUOTE] He probably will have to when she gets sick and keeps swearing by her herbs.

[QUOTE=Chevron;36999217]I wonder if this will include the powerband bullshit. I had a lady trying to sell them in my local shopping center, after looking at the claims on the box and laughing she got hissy but left me alone. She then went on spouting some bullshit to someone next to me and I called her out, long story short I kept asking her what institution did the research to prove the claims, she stated japan and decided to call security on me. She didn't come back for like two weeks but at that point all the claims where marked out with a sharpie and she had move on to 'ion' filtering.[/QUOTE] Sounds like a dick move to me. Salespeople generally make shit salaries, often having no hourly wage and instead having a solely commission-based income. A person who badly needs a job will often resort to sales - Selling for a company does not imply that a person supports and agrees with that company. Basically what you did was fuck up the efforts someone trying to make enough money to make ends meet, while the company that hired her should've been your target.

[QUOTE=archangel125;37005147]Sounds like a dick move to me. Salespeople generally make shit salaries, often having no hourly wage and instead having a solely commission-based income. A person who badly needs a job will often resort to sales - Selling for a company does not imply that a person supports and agrees with that company. Basically what you did was fuck up the efforts someone trying to make enough money to make ends meet, while the company that hired her should've been your target.[/QUOTE] Yeah he should've obviously bought the product because another person was not as well off as him.