Understanding the Regulatory Processes With the ASA & Trading Standards for CAM Practitioners

Andrew Wren talks to Barry Tanner.In this interview, Andrew Wren explores the function, funding, and processes applied in cases that involve either the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and Trading Standards Office (TSO) and review their differing legal powers to enforce any suggested infringement of regulations, whilst also reviewing the latest resurgence of cases now coming out of the Surrey and Buck’s TSO.  Barry Tanner is a regulatory consultant to the CAM sector with over 25 years of experience in developing regulatory processes, dealing with Government bodies, and acting as a Professional Witness for both the Crown Prosecution Services and private litigators whilst also serving as the regulatory lead for a number of professional associations. Within these roles, Barry has assisted the successful defense of many CAM practitioners.We also discuss the increasing need for membership bodies to start educating their members about these potential issues, and instruct their members on options to reduce the risk of conflict; for example, knowing where to get your site reviewed to avoid controversial content before launching, and understanding how one can use content previously thought forbidden, such as clients’ testimonials. We also explore the role of our practitioner insurance, in defending any such challenges. It’s a must for all CAM practitioners.