I was reliably informed that the ‘Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association’ (AACMA) are currently – that is AFTER having retracted the falsehoods they previously issued about me – distributing a document which contains the following passage:
It is noted that Mr Ernst derives income from editing a journal called Focus on Alternative and Complementary Medicine which is published by the British Pharmaceutical Society and listed in pharamcologyjournals.com. Ernst has not declared his own pecuniary conflicts of interest and links with the pharmaceutical industry. I note that the FSM webpage declares that:
‘None of the members of the executive has any vested interests in pharmaceutical companies such that our views or opinions might be influenced’.
This statement is disingenuous and deceptive if instead you base your critique on the blog of a person with such pharmaceutical interests without declaring it.
This is a repetition of the lies which the AACMA have already retracted (see comments section of my previous post on this matter). In my view, this is highly dishonest and actionable. For this reason, I today sent them this ‘open letter’ which I also publish here:
Dear Madam/Sir,
As explained more fully in this blog-post, you have recently accused me of undeclared links to and payments from the pharmaceutical industry. This is a serious, potentially liable allegation.
My objections were followed by your retraction of these allegations (see the comments section of my above-mentioned blog-post). However, your retraction displays an embarrassing level of ignorance and contains several grave errors (see the comments section of my above-mentioned blog-post). Crucially, it implies that I formerly had an undeclared conflict of interest. This is untrue. More importantly, you currently distribute a document that continues to allege that I currently have ‘pharmaceutical interests’. This too is untrue.
I urge you to either produce the evidence for your allegations, or to fully and publicly retract them. This strategy would not merely be the only decent and professional way of dealing with the problem, it also might prevent damage to your reputation, and avoid libel action against you.
Sincerely
Edzard Ernst
6 Responses to My open letter to ‘Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association’
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The ignorance of these people never ceases to amaze me. They can’t tell the difference between the BPS and the pharma industry.
ignorance + chutzpa
because not only did they not know the difference, they also went on the attack claiming something that was untrue.
then they have to retract their claim, but still remain ignorant.
and best of all: they then carry on making false allegations.
one is tempted to diagnose MALIGNANT STUPIDITY
And they still get the name of Edzard’s journal wrong.
Grammar/Spelling check on “Crucially, it implies that I formally had an undeclared conflict of interest. This is untrue.”
Did you have a previous (formerly) undeclared interest or a proper (formally) undeclared conflict of interest. I presume that neither is the answer.
mistake corrected
thanks
I suspect it is too late but I’d make the following change too;
“I urge you to either produce the evidence for your allegations, or fully and publicly retract them.”