Patrick Holford. Photo from HolfordWatch.
Dis-Chem responds to open letter
Published: March 31, 2011, 10:25 a.m., Last updated: March 31, 2011, 10:36 a.m.
Last Friday we published an open letter by the Southern African HIV Clinicians Society and the Treatment Action Campaign to Dis-Chem. The letter asked, "Why is Dis-Chem promoting Patrick Holford?"
Dis-Chem have responded. We reproduce their response here.
Dis-Chem in no ways supports any suggestions or claims that traditional or nutraceutical supplementation is as/more effective than anti-retroviral medication.
Dear Mr Geffen and fellow associates
As a retail pharmacy group with 30 years of history providing a professional service to our customers, we wish to make clear that we in no way support any claims made by any nutraceutical product or supplier of such product that purports to treat HIV Aids.
Dis-Chem wishes to clarify the facts around Patrick Holford’s recent visit to South Africa. Patrick Holford has recently moved his association from Bioscience to More to Life Brands to which he is now contracted and who organised, paid for and hosted the trip. As a Retail Pharmacy Group, Dis-Chem’s involvement in the recent Patrick Holford Tour of South Africa was limited to merely being an outlet for the sale of tickets for the public talks and workshops. We, along with most other retailers of nutraceutical products, also stock his range of popular formulations –none of which make such claims. As a retailer of Patrick Holford’s books, we did take the decision NOT to list or stock his previous controversial book “Food is Better Medicine Than Drugs”.
Dis-Chem in no ways supports any suggestions or claims that traditional or nutraceutical supplementation is as/more effective than anti-retroviral medication or should be used as a treatment for HIV/Aids and we distance ourselves from any such claims. Patrick Holford’s tour was to launch his new book and we are not aware of any such claims having been made in his public talks or in this book.
Dis-Chem has no wish to be involved in any debates on the merits of Patrick Holford’s credentials or his claims and I ask that you refer any such questions to Patrick himself through his local agent, Tony Hicks (hicks@icon.co.za).
Regards
IVAN SALTZMAN | CEO
Comments in chronological order (2 comments)
Michael Meadon wrote on 31 March 2011 at 11:54 a.m.:
Richard Becker wrote on 4 April 2011 at 1:24 p.m.:
Typical CEO response! Of course Dis-chem should be the ones involved in debates on the merits of Patrick Holford’s credentials and claims. Otherwise why should we trust them? Next thing they'll be trying to sell us rhino horn...
Right.
But you still sell his products, his books and facilitated his visit. You may not "wish to be involved in any debates on the merits of Patrick Holford’s credentials or his claims" but by selling his products and facilitating his speaking tour you ARE implicitly endorsing it. And it's overwhelmingly clear that Holford is a quack.
I really, really hope you've studied the CPA in some detail. If you haven't, as of Monday, your company is going to be subject to serious legal challenge for selling such quack products.