An Open Letter to Alliance Boots

I live in the UK and value the freedom of choice offered in this country, particularly with respect to healthcare.  The UK has a history and an outstanding reputation as a market open to and respectful of Homeopathy.  A group of so-called "sceptics" is petitioning Alliance Boots to discontinue its range of homeopathic remedies.  For Alliance Boots to respond to this petition would be to curtail freedom of choice for a significant portion of the British population.  Many are writing letters similar to this below to Boots Alliance.  Please do feel free to do the same.

Dear Sir/Madam,

A democratic society is based upon the premise of freedom of expression and equality. The UK is a so-called democratic society and seeks to allow its residents the freedom and choice they desire.  One of the most fundamental choices we all make is with our healthcare.  The UK allows its citizens the choice of whether to use the NHS or to seek alternative/private treatment.

An extremely popular and effective choice of treatment that approximately 10 million people in the UK choose is Homeopathy.  It is a natural medicine that has been proven for over 200 years to work in the treatment of disease and has also been found in RCTs to work more effectively than placebo.  Unfortunately in the UK there is a movement to suppress people's freedom of choice when it comes to healthcare.  They claim themselves to be "sceptics" and they want to see the end of homeopathic medicine in the UK.

Not only is this "illiberal" (in the words of Health Minister Mike O'Brien) but it is also fundamentally flawed, as they believe homeopathic medicines to exert no effect.  On the contrary Homeopathy has been observed time and time again to have a therapeutic effect. Scientifically this phenomena is not yet completely understood but there are many advances being made in this field.

Alliance Boots provide a great service to their customers in that they allow them the freedom of expression to choose the medicines they wish to use.  A customer shopping at a Boots store anywhere in the UK has the choice to purchase conventional pharmaceutical medicines or equally the choice to purchase homeopathic medicines.  There are very few multi-national companies that allow their patients such wide choice, and Alliance Boots should be commended for this.

I am sure you are aware of a recent online letter produced by a group known as the 10:23 campaign.  They are asking that Alliance Boots stop selling their homeopathic remedies on the premise that they do not work.  On the basis of the arguments above and on extensive clinical evidence indicating that homeopathic remedies DO work, I believe that Alliance Boots must continue to provide homeopathic remedies to their customers.  Not only do they work, but they are in huge demand from the UK public and an open, democratic society should allow people freedom of choice, particularly as to their healthcare.

I hope you will consider this letter and I look forward to receiving your reply.



Yours Faithfully




Send to these email addresses - enquiries@allianceboots.com and csr@allianceboots.com