Economics and similar, for the sleep-deprived
A subtle change has been made to the comments links, so they no longer pop up. Does this in any way help with the problem about comments not appearing on permalinked posts, readers?
Update: seemingly not
Update: Oh yeah!
Thursday, November 04, 2010
Moral dilemmas
I noticed yesterday evening that there is a shop down the far end of my road calling itself a "Homeopathic Pharmacy". I think this might be in breach of the Medicines Act 1968 - "homeopathic medicine", a bit of an abomination in my view, is legal labelling by EU law, but I don't think that the Royal College of Pharmacists have ever lost their control over their reserved word.
If I were to lodge a complaint about this, would I be a) an ass or b) a hero of rationalism? I suppose I ought to ask Twitter.
Points for:
1) I do believe in the reserved words system and think people should take it seriously.
2) Although regular readers will know I have written in qualified defence of woo in the past, homeopathy isn't medicine and it isn't pharmacology either.
3) Therefore I do want them to change the sign.
Points against:
1) People who lodge complaints with councils are, by and large, tossers. (update in response to comments: complaints about other people that is, people who complain about potholes and flytipping are great)
2) I don't want to drive someone out of business because at the end of the day I don't agree (as I think we have established so maybe no need to go through this again unless someone really thinks they can change my mind?) that the actual shop is doing much harm.
My ideal situation therefore, would be to find out that homeopaths are actually allowed to call themselves pharmacists - while this would be pretty scandalous in itself, it would mean that I could lodge the complaint, safe in the knowledge that it was frivolous, and that I was merely winding up the shop owner and wasting his time, rather than potentially driving him out of business.Labels: poundstore Ben Goldacre, that's what I am
this item posted by the management 11/04/2010 03:07:00 AM
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