Can a Non-Existent Amount of Duck Liver Extract Cure the Flu? (Part Three)

This is the concluding post in a three-part series on the marketing of oscillococcinum. Part One is here; Part Two is here.

It might be that a pharmacist's silence about oscillococcinum is preferable to the alternative. Using the “Chat” feature on a chain store's website, I asked about the uses of oscillococcinum. Here is my exchange with a person identified as Pharmacist A.R. (I am omitting the first name, which was  provided in the answers):

Me: Does oscillococcinum have any effect on flu symptoms?

Pharmacist: Some studies have shown that oscillococcinum can reduce the duration of flu symptoms.

Me: Are those studies reliable?

 Pharmacist: Yes, the studies were included in the US National Library of Medicine.

Me: Can you tell me anything else about it?

Pharmacist: Because it is a homeopathic medication, unfortunately not many clinical trials have been conducted as of yet. If you feel as though you are getting the flu or have been exposed to it, I would recommend talking to your doctor about treatment.

Seeing a doctor is always good fallback advice. But even so, I don't see how someone with a PharmD degree can refer to oscillococcinum as a "medication," which is a claim that even herbs and supplements do not make, given the absence of any active ingredient. Nor is inclusion in a comprehensive library – in this case, one that includes the archives of the National Center for Homeopathy – proof of reliability. In fact, the entry for oscillococcinum says only that there is insufficient evidence to rate it for effectiveness and that any claimed benefits “cannot be explained by current scientific methods.”

Given that Oscillo is, well, nothing, I find it troubling that it is carried in drug stores at all, and more troubling that it is stocked adjacent to the pharmacy, which gives it an imprimatur of usefulness, instead of in the candy aisle.

Most troubling, however, is the apparent muzzling of some pharmacists by their employers, and seemingly authorized misinformation from others, which make it impossible for consumers to obtain accurate facts from licensed professionals. There are over-the-counter products that actually do reduce the severity of cold and flu symptoms, but there is no way, without a pharmacist’s help, to distinguish Oscillo from effective medicine based on the labels alone.

Under the Code of Ethics of the American Pharmacists Association, a “pharmacist promises to help individuals achieve optimum benefit from their medications, to be committed to their welfare, and to maintain their trust.” Other provisions require pharmacists to consider the “needs stated by the patient as well as those defined by health science” and “to tell the truth and to act with conviction of conscience.” None of this can be achieved under practices that prevent explaining that Oscillo isn’t medicine.

Retail pharmacists are admittedly in a tough position. They have no control over the non-prescription products on the shelves in front of their counters, and stores will no doubt continue to carry any product that sells. Still, it would be good to see some pushback from pharmacists, who may have more leverage than they think. Yes, they need jobs from the big chains, but the retail pharmacies couldn’t sell prescription drugs without them. Consumers ought to get more than a tight-lipped grimace, or worse, a tepid endorsement, when they inquire about the purported benefits of Oscillo.

People have every right to believe and hope that a “body’s natural defenses” can be stimulated by non-existent amounts duck liver extract, and that there is a “shaking or succussing process that releases the energy of the substance.” If so, there are homeopathy clerks in specialty stores who would more than happy to answer their questions. It would be great if well-educated, licensed pharmacists could exercise the same freedom of speech.

Comments

[anon]

Asinine response. Really. Almost incoherent.

And, so emotional!

[concerned_citizen]

"YOu can have the final word, if you are really that hung up on this.

Posted by: anon | February 04, 2019 at 01:54 PM"

Ever true to your word.

;-)

[anon]

You didn't respond in any way on the merits of the issues debated. There were no "last words" on those issues: only your attack on me, to which I responded.

BTW, if you read that thread night and concluded that I was insulting you throughout, then, again, one wonders about whether you are more controlled in the am ...