[*quote*]
---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Consumer Health Digest #11-13
May 19, 2011
Consumer Health Digest is a free weekly e-mail newsletter edited by
Stephen Barrett, M.D., with help from William M. London, Ed.D. It
summarizes scientific reports; legislative developments; enforcement
actions; news reports; Web site evaluations; recommended and
nonrecommended books; and other information relevant to consumer
protection and consumer decision-making.
###
Geier troubles escalate.
In April, the Maryland State Board of Physicians issued an emergency
suspension order which stated that Mark Geier, M.D had misrepresented
his credentials, operated an institutional review board that did not
meet state and federal regulations, and rendered substandard care to
nine patients with autism.
http://www.casewatch.org/board/med/geier/order.shtmlIn six of the patients, the board charged, he inappropriately diagnosed
precocious puberty (a rare condition) and administered Lupron, a drug that
reduces the body's production of the male hormone testosterone and is
used to castrate sex offenders. In three of the patients, he
administered inappropriate chelation therapy. This week, following a
hearing, the Board issued formal charges against him
http://www.casewatch.org/board/med/geier/m_geier_charges.pdf and also charged his son David Geier with practicing medicine without a license.
http://www.casewatch.org/board/med/geier/d_geier_charges.pdf Dr. Geier has appealed the Board's decision.
The Geiers have been operating ASD Centers LLC, a chain of clinics
that advertises "a new combined genetic, biochemical, heavy metal,
and hormonal evaluation/treatment for patients diagnosed with autism
spectrum disorder (ASD)." The advertising also asserts that
evaluations of more than 600 ASD patients have revealed that most
have symptoms and laboratory results consistent with high levels of
male hormones. Several experts have denounced the use of Lupron to
treat autistic children. [Tsouderos T. 'Miracle drug' called junk
science: Powerful castration drug pushed for autistic children, but
medical experts denounce unproven claims. Chicago Tribune, May 21,
2009]
http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/chi-autism-lupron-may21,0,242705.story In response to the action against David, Maryland's governor removed
him from Maryland's Autism Commission. [Roylance FD. O'Malley ousts
David Geier from autism commission. Baltimore Sun, May 20, 2011]
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-05-20/health/bs-hs-geier-autism-commission-20110520_1_lupron-therapy-mark-geier-autism-patients###
FTC attacks massive online fraud.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is suing the operators of an online
operation that collected more than $450 million from consumers in the
United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New
Zealand. [FTC charges online marketers with scamming consumers out of
hundreds of millions of dollars with 'free' trial offers. FTC news
release, May 17, 2011]
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2011/05/jessewillms.shtm
According to the FTC's complaint:
**Jesse Willms (a Canadian resident), four American associates, and
10 companies Willms controlled used deceptive tactics in offering
"free trials" for dietary supplements, a work-at-home scheme, access
to government grants, free credit reports, and penny auctions.
**The products included at least 15 brands of acai berry weight-loss
pills, 6 brands of colon cleansers, 13 brands of teeth whiteners, and
supplements containing resveratrol (the supposedly healthful
ingredient in red wine)-all marketed with false or misleading claims.
One of the "colon cleansers" was falsely claimed to prevent cancer.
**The defendants also touted bogus endorsements by Oprah Winfrey and
Rachael Ray and falsely represented that their products had been
endorsed or positively reported by CNN, MSNBC, USA Today, CBS, and 60
Minutes.
**Willms and his companies obtained consumers' credit or debit card
account numbers, by enticing them with bogus "free" or "risk-free"
trial offers that supposedly required only small shipping and
handling fees, and also promised phony "bonus" offers just for
signing up. Consumers who had no reason to believe they would be
charged for the trial product or the extra bonus products were often
charged for the "free" trial plus a monthly recurring fee, typically
$79.95. Consumers were also charged monthly recurring fees for
so-called bonus offers.
**Although the defendants offered a money-back guarantee, consumers
were often unsuccessful in canceling the charges or obtaining refunds.
**Defendants generated more than $467 million in gross sales, with
unreimbursed consumer injury totaling more than $412 million.Although credit card companies and banks attempted to stop the
defendants from using merchant credit card services, they were able
keep the money flowing by using shell companies and manipulating
payment data.
"Free" offers for weight-loss products and other dietary supplements
are often associated with credit card fraud. The activity is
lucrative enough that no amount of case-by-case civil enforcement
action will have much impact. To improve the situation, our society
needs a plan that includes screening of certain types of ads, routine
criminal prosecution of violators, and publicly exposing sellers
placed on the VISA/MasterCard MATCH (terminated merchant) list.
http://www.findmerchant.com/merchant/merchant_tmf_file.htm###
Dubious doctor resurfaces.
Raymond Lecraw, who in 1991 was convicted of prescription fraud and
practicing medicine without a license in Virginia is now identified
as "Dr. Raymond LaCroix, MD" on the Web site of a Swiss company that
markets "cellular therapy" products. [Barrett S. Some notes on Lab
Dom AVMM and two of its consultants. Quackwatch, May 21, 2011]
http://www.quackwatch.org/04ConsumerEducation/Nonrecorg/labdom.html Newspaper reports about the 1991 case state that Lecraw had attended
a nonaccredited medical school in the Dominican Republic and failed
in five attempts to get certification in Virginia. "Cellular
therapy"--the concept that injecting cells from animal or human
organs will strengthen or repair the corresponding organs of the
recipient--lacks scientific support.
###
Continuing request for help from Dr. Stephen Barrett
In June, Doctor's Data filed suit against Dr. Barrett because it
didn't like what he wrote about them on Quackwatch and in this
newsletter. The events leading up to the suit are described at
http://www.quackwatch.org/14Legal/dd_suit.html Motions to dismiss have been filed, but there is still much work to be done.
Contributions to his defense fund can be made by mail or through
http://www.quackwatch.org/00AboutQuackwatch/donations.html###
Other issues of the Digest are accessible through
http://www.ncahf.org/digest10/index.htmlIf you enjoy this newsletter, please recommend it to your friends. To help
prevent the newsletter from being filtered out as spam, please add
broadcast-chdigest@ssr.com to your address book or other "whitelist."
To unsubscribe, send a blank message to chdigest-unsubscribe@ssr.com.
This must be sent from the address you used to subscribe.
--
---------------------------------------------
Stephen Barrett, M.D.
Consumer Advocate
Chatham Crossing, Suite 107/208
11312 U.S. 15 501 North
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
Telephone: (919) 533-6009
http://www.quackwatch.org (health fraud and quackery)
http://www.allergywatch.org (under construction)
http://www.acuwatch.org (under construction)
http://www.autism-watch.org (guide to autism)
http://www.cancertreatmentwatch.org (under construction)
http://www.casewatch.org (legal archive)
http://www.chelationwatch.org (chelation therapy)
http://www.chirobase.org (guide to chiropractic)
http://www.credentialwatch.org (under construction)
http://www.dentalwatch.org (guide to dental care)
http://www.devicewatch.org (under construction)
http://www.dietscam.org (under construction)
http://www.fibrowatch.org (guide to fibromyalgia -- under construction)
http://www.homeowatch.org (guide to homeopathy)
http://www.ihealthpilot.org (guide to reliable information)
http://www.insurancereformwatch.org (under construction)
http://www.infomercialwatch.org (guide to infomercials)
http://www.mentalhealthwatch.org (under construction)
http://www.mlmwatch.org (multi-level marketing)
http://www.naturowatch.org (naturopathy)
http://www.nccamwatch.org (under construction)
http://www.nutriwatch.org (nutrition facts and fallacies)
http://www.pharmwatch.org (under construction)
http://www.ncahf.org (National Council Against Health Fraud archive)
http://www.chsourcebook.com (consumer health sourcebook)
Editor, Consumer Health Digest
http://www.quackwatch.org/00AboutQuackwatch/chd.htmlDonations to help support Quackwatch can be made through PayPal or by mail.
See:
http://www.quackwatch.org/00AboutQuackwatch/donations.html[*/quote*]
