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FORUM How to Get Rich Quickly with ‘Alternative’ Medicine

EDZARD ERNST

lternative” medicine is un- • Emphasize that your treatment has orate—studying groups of patients is doubtedly popular and been around for hundreds of years. meaningless for informing us what therefore profitable. The This implies that it has “stood the test does and doesn’t help the next patient. “A • latest report from Mintel, a London- of time.” In this context, Prince Emphasize the overwhelming impor- based marketing research company, Charles likes to speak of “ancient wis- tance of the aphorism: “If it helps my showed an increase of 24 percent in sales dom,” which has in many cases killed patients, I don’t need scientific proof!” more people than it cured—like of homeopathic medicines over the last Selling bogus remedies might, of course, bloodletting, for instance. But if you five years. Some treatments commonly earn you not just money but occasional want to get rich, you must be eco- labeled as “alternative” are demonstrably harsh criticism. Should you ever be nomical with the truth. effective, but most are unproven or dis- attacked as a fraud, an age-old strategy proven. So how is it that so many people • Highjack core elements of medicine may be your best bet: the ad hominem are so successful at selling bogus treat- and pretend they are unique to your attack. ments? Much of the answer lies in clever type of healthcare. Point out, for marketing. Here are some fool-proof instance, that your treatment is holis- • Argue that your opponent is an utterly strategies for setting up a thriving busi- tic and offers an individualized ap- incompetent and notorious quack- ness in bogus remedies: proach. Do not mention that good, buster. He knows nothing about the conventional medicine is, by defini- complex nature of your treatment—so • Whatever you do, always pretend that tion, holistic and individualized. how dare he criticize it! convincingly positive evidence exists If your alternative therapy has already • Imply that your opponent is deep in for the efficacy of your remedies. This been widely exposed as quackery, do not the pocket of the pharmaceutical lie is, of course, as popular as it is despair. A slightly modified marketing industry and paid generously for essential for profit. Currently there are strategy can still bring success: denouncing natural treatments like millions of Web sites promoting • State that most of conventional medi- yours. This has the added value of sug- countless forms of alternative medi- cine (80 percent is a popular figure) is gesting that the pharmaceutical indus- cine; the vast majority indulge in also not evidence-based. Never mind try knows about the effectiveness of exactly this fabrication. that this figure has repeatedly been dis- your approach, which can only be • Stress that your treatment is natural. proven—people won’t fact-check it, and good for business. To lay people this automatically implies they will see your point: if conventional • Convince people that your enemy has an absence of risks; ignore the fact that medicine is not flawless, you must be only one reason for his derogatory hemlock is natural yet more than just allowed to do anything you want. comments: to distract from the fact a trifle unhealthy. Even the U.K. govern- • Stress that your therapy cannot possi- that not you but he is the impostor who ment recently adopted this deception bly be submitted to scientific scrutiny. has committed any manner of health by naming a regulatory body for “alter- Never mind that your arguments do fraud, violation of medical ethics, or native” practitioners “The Comple- not hold water: a surprising number of other crimes. mentary Natural Health Council” people find antiscience much more (emphasis added) (www.fih.org.uk- attractive than science, and a lack of Following this simple marketing strat- /media_centre/natural_healthcare.html). rationality has been shown to predict egy, your bogus remedy will be a hit. usage of “alternative” medicine. You will effortlessly earn pots of money, Edzard Ernst, MD and PhD, is co-author • Point out that clinical trials are ex- and you might even gain a few satisfied with Simon Singh of Trick or Treatment: tremely misleading because they tell us customers whose endorsements can be The Undeniable Facts about Alternative nothing about the individual. Since posted on your Web site. Trust me; I
Medicine, W.W. Norton, New York, 2008. we are all different—you should elab- have seen it happen many times!

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER March / April 2009 57