AMA Wants Regulation of ‘Bioidenticals’
Landmark government research linking conventional hormone pills with health risks led many women to quit taking them.But there’s no evidence that bioidenticals are any safer and they may even have other risks, Dr. Robert Vigersky, a member of the Endocrine Society delegation to the AMA, said Wednesday. The society represents doctors who specialize in hormone-related disorders.
“This is a safety issue, there’s no question about it,” said Dr. Ardis Hoven, an AMA board member.
The products, sometimes called “natural” hormones, are compounds that have the same chemical and molecular structure as hormones that are produced in the human body. They are custom-mixed by special pharmacies according to a doctor’s prescription.
Promoters say they are plant-based, but Vigersky said some contain synthetic products and their exact ingredients aren’t always known because they are not FDA-approved.
“We think that people are being misled into thinking that they are safer and we’re worried that they may be inappropriately prescribed,” said Vigersky, an endocrinologist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He said he has no financial ties to pharmaceutical companies that produce hormone pills.
“Oh, do it for the children, they can’t protect themselves!” This is basically the adult version of “do it for the children”. The AMA is worried about one of their more lucrative monopolies on treatments, and wants the government to step in and enforce it for them. Look, we don’t need to be protected from snake-oil salesmen by the government. We are adults, we can think for ourselves and judge risks for ourselves, and if someone is committing fraud, gee, it’s not real hard to find a lawyer. What we don’t need is the AMA stifling any potential innovation, because there could be something to this. They aren’t worried about our health, they are worried about their pocketbooks, and are willing to use unfair tactics to protect them.