|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Health Care Crisis-Biomed Bias Healthcare Crisis - Belief Bias Against Biomed Comm Wednesday, May 2, 2007 Biomed Comm and Barbara Brewitt Judged Through Prejudice Confirmatory bias is a first element of prejudice and injustice referring to a form of selective thinking and perception. Prejudice is apparent when evidence presented supports what the believers already believe and the believer ignores all evidence that refutes those beliefs. The person holding the belief bias is unable to assimilate new contradictory information that might help them arrive at a different conclusion. In the case of Biomed Comm Inc and Barbara Brewitt, Ph.D bias is obvious. The Presiding Judge omitted from court evidence all US patents on homeopathic protein product innovations and peer-reviewed publications of Brewitt demonstrating safety of products and her credibility. The bias of the WA State Judge was apparent when he ruled after he omitted these documents saying that they were irrelevant to the case issues and later ruled Biomed Comm and Brewitt were "not credible". The court bias appears to be glaringly evident and capricious. Is this a case of conventional medicine bias against homeopathy and alternative healing modalities? Highly technical, credible and significant information on homeopathy was presented at the Biomed Comm hearing, yet completely overlooked and not mentioned in the WA State courtroom. The State Department of Health and Board of Pharmacy were given 22 hours to present against Brewitt. Expert witness testimony regarding drug defintions was not allowed to Biomed Comm or Brewitt and time for the defense was cut three-fold to only 7 hours. This is not time for a fair defense of a highly significant discussion on biotechnology, innovations and socially responsible activities that impact healthcare and people's individual health choices and access nationally. The evidence in the cases against Biomed Comm and Brewitt were selectively presented for distortion; conditions favorable for bias, prejudice and injustice. A carefully constructed false reality appeared to be produced. See this blog at http://wwwpanphoenix.blogspot Write to the Governor at http://www.governor.wa.gov Governor
Chris Gregoire Write to: Governor's Health Care Policy advisor: Christina Hulet. Health Policy Advisor Jim Turner, Esq BLOG KEYWORDS: Barbara Brewitt, Biomed Comm, Brewitt, drugs, healthcare, homeopahy Online articles of the newspaper coverage in the Seattle Times and the Seattle Post Intelligencer Supplement maker, dealer told to stop By TOM
PAULSON P-I REPORTER http://seattlepi.nwsource.com The owner of Biomed Comm, a Seattle-based dealer in natural supplements sold online and in stores worldwide, has been accused of illegally manufacturing and selling drugs and engaging in the unlicensed practice of medicine. The state Board of Pharmacy on Wednesday sanctioned Barbara Brewitt, owner of Biomed Comm, for manufacturing and selling homeopathic products containing substances such as human growth hormone and insulin -- including a kind of chocolate called "Cocoa Bliss Bears" with human growth hormone marketed as a relief for menopause. "We're not aware of any evidence of harm, but we're not going to wait for such evidence," said Lisa Salmi, acting executive director for the board. "Biomed Comm did not have appropriate safeguards in place to manufacture drugs safely ... these are drugs." They ordered her to stop selling drugs, but Brewitt contends what her business provides are not drugs and are not subject to regulation by the state pharmacy board or the Department of Health. "I do not believe that the state has the authority or the expertise to understand or regulate complementary medicine," she said. Her firm deals in homeopathic remedies -- highly diluted substances made according to the theory that water exposed to active drugs or other therapeutic substances retains a healing "memory" no matter how diluted the solution. On the Biomed Web page, products such as Endurance Plus for men are still advertised and sold over the Internet. Brewitt, who said she continues to sell her products but no longer manufactures them, denies the board's allegation that she misrepresented herself as a physician in order to obtain human growth hormone and other substances to make the remedies. In 1989, Brewitt received a doctorate in biology from the University of Washington School of Medicine. She describes the basis of Biomed as a combination of her interests in molecular biology, "bioelectric medicine" and homeopathy. The company's signature approach to therapy is trademarked as a "Cell Signal Enhancer." Brewitt said she has retained an attorney and intends to challenge the state's authority to regulate her products. Biomed Comm has been a licensed business in Washington since 1996 and, apparently, did not run afoul of state regulators until Brewitt applied for a license to manufacture her products. "We had a manufacturing plant that we were trying to get up and working in Woodinville when they shut us down," Brewitt said. A Biomed competitor bought out her previous manufacturer, based in Nevada, she said. So Brewitt applied to the state health department to begin making their own products here. "I have been faithful trying to dialogue with (state officials)," she said. Donn Moyer, spokesman for the health department, acknowledged that the agency had no knowledge of Biomed's practices before Brewitt's application. But once investigators started looking into the firm, Moyer said, they discovered Brewitt engaging in many violations of the law governing drug manufacture and the practice of medicine. "We learned from her employees that she had been manufacturing these drug products for as long as 10 years, selling them worldwide on the Internet as well as locally at places like Walgreens, Costco and General Nutrition Centers," he said. A cease-and-desist order was issued by the board last year, Moyer said, prior to the board's final ruling issued Thursday. He said investigators will look into whether Biomed's continual sales of products constitutes a violation of that order. Brewitt, in any case, intends to fight the state on this one. She said she has formed a legal defense fund and joined with other organizations that believe many state and federal regulatory agencies are structured to favor traditional medicine and squelch any form of alternative medical practices. ENDURANCE PLUS Endurance Plus is advertised as a product for men who want more energy. It is said to contain recombinant insulin such as growth factor 1 -- "An ingredient not taken from human or animal extracts but rather synthetically produced from a perfect human blueprint, sugars, phosphates and proteins using good manufacturing practices." P-I reporter Tom Paulson can be reached at 206-448-8318 or tompaulson@seattlepi.com. State fines, denies license to Woodinville biotech firm By Carol
M. Ostrom http://seattlepi.nwsource.com The state Board of Pharmacy has fined the operator of a Woodinville biotechnology company $415,000 and denied her a license to make drugs, saying she falsely claimed to be a physician and illegally manufactured and sold homeopathic "healthy aging" drugs. The state says that for more than a decade, Barbara Brewitt, 58, illegally manufactured and sold products made from human-growth hormone through her company, Biomed Comm, at retail stores including Costco and General Nutrition Centers, according to a final order issued Wednesday. In early 2006, the board ordered Biomed Comm to cease operations. Brewitt says the charges were false and the state closed her down because "they do not understand complementary and alternative medicine — they're committed to conventional health care." In its final order, the Board of Pharmacy denied Brewitt's application for a license to operate as a drug manufacturer in this state and says she cannot reapply for 10 years. The impropriety first surfaced in an investigation prompted by Brewitt's application in 2005 for a manufacturing license for Biomed Comm, said Donn Moyer, spokesman for the state Department of Health. The board alleges she misrepresented herself as a medical doctor to obtain prescription-only materials to manufacture homeopathic-drug products. In its final order, the Board of Pharmacy said Biomed contracted with another company to make the products, using recombinant human-growth-hormone materials characterized as "research-grade," which were not intended for human use. The Board alleged Biomed requested the company remove "not for human use" language from paperwork, but the company refused. Brewitt said she has a doctorate in biological structures, a master's degree in divinity and has done research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She said she holds several patents and does double-blind studies on her products. The company's Web site says Brewitt has been "heralded" for products that help autistic children and HIV patients. It says its products help aging baby boomers and others by increasing energy, improving appearance and boosting immune systems. Brewitt said the company did $1 million in annual sales before the Board of Pharmacy shut it down. In November, she sued the Board of Pharmacy in King County Superior Court, alleging it overstepped its authority. That case is scheduled to be heard next year. "We're in a bunker taking a bombing from the state," Brewitt said. "We haven't violated any laws, and we would like the state to be reasonable." Brewitt said she cannot pay the fine and plans to appeal. "It's aimed at bankrupting me and putting me out of business." Carol M. Ostrom: 206-464-2249 orcostrom@seattletimes.com Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company |
|
Biomed denied License 
