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IRISH HEALTH TRADE ASSOCIATION Working together towards a healthier Ireland Annual General Meeting 28 April 2010 Presentation by: Alan Ruth, Chief Executive Officer. RAISING THE IHTA PROFILE PUNCHING ABOVE OUR WEIGHT. EVOLUTION OF KEY IHTA ACTIVITIES. Relationship Building >>>>
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IRISH HEALTH TRADE ASSOCIATIONWorking together towards a healthier IrelandAnnual General Meeting28 April 2010Presentation by: Alan Ruth, Chief Executive Officer
EVOLUTION OF KEY IHTA ACTIVITIES • Relationship Building >>>> • Influencing >>>> • Informing >>>> >>>>>Raisingthe IHTA profile • Defending >>>> • Challenging >>>> • Educating >>>> • Pushing >>>>
Slide from presentation I gave at EHPM Council of Presidents’ MeetingSOME STRATEGIC OPTIONSfor managing communications with the media Stick our heads in the sand Lie down and take regular beatings Challenge and/or fight back Be reactive Be pro-active Adopt a MANAGE mindset Build mutually beneficial relationships (relationship marketing orientation) Coordinate media communications Europe wide or Globally
Slide from presentation I gave at EHPM Council of Presidents’ MeetingChallenging incorrect statements in articlesThe Daily Mail example 2 British professors responded to e-mails from me by distancing themselves from the Daily Mail newspaper. In an e-mail I received from Professor Lesley Regan she stated: “I did not write the MailOnLine article. This was extracted from the programmes and publicity spread by the journalist and is an issue that I have been arguing about since I did not agree to putting my name to their article in the first person. I was interviewed by the journalist about the series but the issue about Vitamin C was not raised in that interview.” In e-mails I received from Professor Sue Fairweather-Tait and her PA, they stated: “I don't know anything about this article or who to contact. Can you find out from Alan Ruth what to do about it? I certainly didn't say what I'm reported as saying.” “Having forwarded a copy of the article to Sue she can say with certainty that the stated safe levels for vitamins and minerals were not made by her – the article is written in a way which implies that this is the case when in fact Sue had no input into this aspect of the article at all.”
“We have indeed found your correspondence very useful. Please include us amongst “information exchangers”. We have been following your e-mails and agree with them. In terms of European issues, we are willing to help as much as we are able” – from Poland“Thanks for answering me to our questions and for all your emails, these really help me. May I insert your interview with your picture on our next newsletter of February. Thanks again for your helpful emails.” – from Italy“You are doing a great job. Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle should be starting a kind of allergic reaction to articles 13 and 14 evaluation criteria.” – from France“Starting receiving your mails was really encouraging while doing our job. I would like to remain on the mailing list. You sent once a presentation about communications (with the media). Would you be so kind and send me once again. I can not find it in my files.” – from Slovenia“I would like to thank all of you who have put great effort to our case by answering me. I have got several new points to share with our members (and their lawyers) who have this ongoing case in hands.It’s very nice to find out that our information sharing works both ways, you can share info but you can also ask for help and get very thorough answers from professionals.” - From Finland
“I also wanted to tell you that the information you give is very interesting and useful to me. I wish you could continue information sharing. I also wanted to thank you for your important work. I really appreciate it. Thank you again.” – From France“I found the 'Information Sharing' E-mails very useful. I would be really grateful if I could be a member of your network of 'information exchangers'. You are doing a great job. I found 'IHTA Newsflashes' very useful too. Thank you very much for all this information!” – From Italy“I am sorry that amongst those reasons are the lack of response you seem to have had. I for one have appreciated your information immensely, I may not always have responded to it, but at least I want you to know.” – From Norway“I do very much appreciate your continuous effort on information sharing and believe its countless help for us. I would like to be kept in the loop if you don’t mind. With lots of thanks and kind regards.” – From Turkey“It would be a shame to end this information sharing, please continue and thanks a lot!” – From Belgium“I would like to ask you to keep me also on your mailing list, because for our small association your “news” is very useful. Thank you very much in advance.” - From Czech Republic
SOME THINGS I’VE PUSHED EHPM ON • A potential conflict of interest in relation to EHPM and EAS • ‘Managing’ the media on a European (and perhaps global) basis • Becoming more goal and objective oriented in relation to ‘key issues’ • Getting inactive national association EHPM members to take action on key issues • Being more forceful in communications with Commission and EFSA officials • Ensuring that a Health Claims Impact Assessment is carried out by someone who will employ a sound methodology • Getting IASDA to alert member associations to both positive and negative research news related to our industry, and to issue rebuttals, as and when appropriate. • Getting eminent scientists to challenge EFSA’s approach to evaluating health claims • Encouraging the sharing of information between the national associations which constitute EHPM.
Achieving EHPM’s Goals throughTransorganisational Development
FROM EHPM “STRATEGIC ISSUES” TO EHPM GOALS • The achievement of EHPM GOALS should be facilitated and driven by individual national associations’ achievement of pertinent objectives, communicated clearly by EHPM to the national associations. • Goals provide direction. They describe a general purpose to which to direct key ‘value adding’ activities. • The achievement of particular national association objectives should support/facilitate the achievement of related EHPM goals. • The more national associations that achieve ‘EHPM goal facilitating’ objectives, the more likely that EHPM goals will be achieved.
LOBBYING IRISH MEPs Ongoing lobbying of Irish MEPs has proved beneficial: • It helped bring about major delays in the Commission’s plans to propose maximum levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements. • It resulted in a hearing being granted by the European Parliament’s Committee on Petitions for the IHTA’s petition titled: Request for additional consideration of the potential adverse impacts of the Food Supplements Directive (2002/46/EC) prior to the setting of maximum levels of vitamins and minerals in foodstuffs, under the said Directive. • Nessa Childers and Mairead McGuinness (or a deputy) plan to attend today’s EHPM workshop on Health Claims in the European Parliament. • Last month, Irish MEP Marian Harkin hosted the 3rd European Homeopathy Day event at the European Parliament. She stated: “Neither EU health policy in general nor the EU health programme makes sufficient reference to complementary medicine and its important role in European healthcare.”
Relationship building and ‘influencing’ the IMB • IHTA delegation met with Pat O’Mahony (Chief Exec) and Dr. Mike Morris (Chief Scientific Officer) to seek clarification on how the IMB will distinguish between botanical preparations that may be supplied as food supplements (post 30 April 2011) and those that should be supplied as THMs. Outcomes of the above: - The IHTA (Jonathan Griffith) invited to work with Mike Morris on the classification issue. - Mike and Jonathan presenting on progress at today’s AGM. • IHTA comments presented on the IMB’s National Rules Scheme for Homeopathic Medicines • IHTA commented extensively on IMB’s Strategy - NHPs require a regulatory environment which is appropriate & proportionate - Request to engage with DoHC and competent authorities in other MSs to bring about a Directive for NHPs - The IMB should fully recognise & embrace the Wellness Approach to protect and enhance public health and reduce the nations healthcare costs. - The IMB should work with the NHPs sector (the IHTA) on a proactive & consultative basis to develop a health policy which includes the Wellness paradigm & embraces NHPs. - The IMB should work with the DoHC on the above.
Relationship building and ‘influencing’ the FSAI Ongoing dialogue with the FSAI over the past 12 months has embraced: • The substantiation of Article 13 Health Claims • Regulation EC 764/2008 on Mutual Recognition • Codex Guidelines re Nutrition & Health Claims – Recommendations on the Scientific Substantiation of Health Claims • IADSA’s comments on the above guidelines • The EHPM/ERNA Model for the Assessment of Article 13 claims • The Irish position on setting maximum levels and the DoHC’s briefing document on this. • The Prof. Albert Flynn (Chair, FSAI Scientific Committee) view on setting maximum levels. • A transition period re supplements containing forms of vitamins & minerals that were to be prohibited from 21 December. • A second invitation for me (or someone else I would recommend) to speak at an FSAI meeting (on Health Claims)
Other lobbying activities At home, lobbying activities with Irish politicians have been directed at the newly named Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation. Last month, Batt O’Keeffe became the Head of this Department, as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation. Both Batt O’Keeffe and Conor Lenihan, Minister of State for Science, Technology and Innovation, have been made aware of our sectors grave concerns regarding health claims and maximum levels. On the European front, in addition to lobbying Irish MEPs, lobbying has also focused on: The Permanent Representative of Ireland to the European Commission (Rory Montgomery). Former Irish politician, Maire Geoghegan - Quinn, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science.
DEFENDING HOMEOPATHY I e-mailed all Members of the House of Commons Science & Technology Committee to make them aware of the current (and growing) evidence base for homeopathy. I e-mailed the main ‘experts’ who made statements that homeopathic remedies only had a placebo effect. It was obvious that Edzard Ernst did not want to engage with me. Ben Goldacre, however, exchanged about 7 e-mails with me. In one e-mail to Goldacre, I said that he only looked at the negative results and ignored the positive. He replied: “I look at all the evidence, systematically reviewed, like I would on any topic.” I asked him to provide some evidence that he had systematically reviewed the evidence. He totally ignored this request.
PLEASE NOTE: The printer made 2 errors. The poster should read: IHTA members “YOUR ASSOCIATION/INDUSTRY NEEDS YOU”
DEFENDING THE INDUSTRY! The IHTA (indeed your industry) needs YOU! • In 2008 IHTA income from members’ subs exceeded expenditure by only 831 euro • In 2009 IHTA expenditure exceeded income from members’ subs by 12, 118 euro (even though expenditure was 7,644 euro (5.4%) lower than in 2008. • The Surplus carried forward from prior years more than made up for the ‘negative surplus’ for 2009. However, the surplus being carried forward is reducing. Without YOURcontinued membership and support, the IHTA would not exist. THANK YOU.
