Homeopathy Plus! is an Australian company run byhomeopath Fran Sheffield inTuggerah,New South Wales. It is known for the claim that homeopathy is an effective, and safer, alternative tovaccination for conditions includingwhooping cough, along with claims that homeopathy is superior tochemotherapy for cancer.[1] The claims for "homeoprophylaxis" were assessed as misleading by the Complaints Resolution Panel of theTherapeutic Goods Administration and a retraction demanded;[2] this was ignored. The prophylaxis claims were referred to theAustralian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC),[3] and although this was stated to have resulted in their removal,[4] legal proceedings continued, culminating in a ruling by Justice Perry of theFederal Court of Australia in December 2014 that:
2) The First Respondent and the Second Respondent have in trade or commerce:
a) engaged in conduct that was misleading and deceptive or was likely to mislead and deceive, in contravention of section 18 of the ACL;
b) in connection with the supply or possible supply of Homeopathic Treatments, and in connection with the promotion of the supply of Homeopathic Treatments, made false or misleading representations that theHomeopathic Treatments are of a particular standard or quality in contravention of section 29(1)(a) and (b) of the ACL; and
c) in connection with the supply or possible supply of Homeopathic Treatments, and in connection with the promotion of the supply of Homeopathic Treatments, made false or misleading representations that Homeopathic Treatments have a use or benefit in contravention of section 29(1)(g) of the ACL.[5][6]
The Federal judge concluded that: "there is no reasonable basis, in the sense of an adequate foundation, in medical science to enable the First Respondent and the Second Respondent to state that HomeopathicTreatments are safe and effective as an alternative to the Vaccine for the Prevention of Whooping Cough".[7]
Sheffield was also the originator of a controversialchange.org petition to theWorld Health Organization calling on the WHO to use homeopathy in the 2014Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa; a New Zealand MP who signed the petition was demoted from his position as a result.[8][9] The New Zealand Prime MinisterJohn Key called the idea of homeopathy for Ebola "barking mad".[10]
The sentence was announced on 14 October 2015: Fran Sheffield was fined $23,000 and banned from selling the products for five years, and Homeopathy Plus fined $115,000.[11]
^"ACCC Judgement". Australian Competition & Consumer Commission. RetrievedDecember 24, 2014.
^Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v. Homeopathy Plus! Australia Pty. Ltd. and another,Federal Court of Australia, no. (P)NSD256/2013, 22 December 2014.
