The MHRA has banned homeopathy pharmacy Ainsworths from advertising homeopathic remedies as an alternative treatment to childhood vaccines.

The medicines watchdog clamped down on the London pharmacy for promoting homeopathy as an alternative to vaccinations for measles, meningitis or whooping cough, following an investigation by BBC Inside Out South West, broadcast last week (January 14).

The MHRA told C+D it had prevented Ainsworths from advertising eight products as vaccines, following the BBC programme's claims that the pharmacy was selling vials of pills labelled 'Measles Vaccine', 'Rubella Vaccine' and 'Pertussis Vaccine'. 

"To claim that these products can provide effective prophylaxis against meningitis, measles, rubella or pertussis is reckless, dangerous and morally reprehensible" Joseph Bush, Aston University

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And it told C+D today (January 21) it had already been working on a "number of issues relating to Ainsworths" before the investigation was published and had reprimanded the pharmacy for selling 20 unlicensed products on its website over the past year. An undercover BBC reporter posing as a worried parent said pharmacy owner Anthony Pinkus had admitted to selling homeopathic remedy Pertussin 30c for 30 years as a protection against whooping cough.

And, although Mr Pinkus highlighted the lack of evidence for homeopathic remedies, he allegedly claimed this was down to haphazard data collection in clinical trials.

Following Inside Out's allegations, Aston University pharmacy lecturer Joseph Bush told C+D it was "morally reprehensible" to suggest homeopathy was an effective alternative to vaccination.

"I think any inference that inert sugar pills are effective for the treatment of any condition is unethical, but to claim that these products can provide effective prophylaxis against meningitis, measles, rubella or pertussis is reckless, dangerous and morally reprehensible," he told C+D.

Mr Bush called on the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) to conduct a thorough investigation into the allegations to ensure public confidence in the profession was maintained.

The GPhC told C+D on Friday (January 18) it could not reveal whether it had opened another case on Mr Pinkus's practices in light of the fresh allegations, as all investigations were conducted privately. The regulator previously investigated Mr Pinkus in 2011 for promoting homeopathy in the treatment of tropical diseases but closed the case after saying he had taken "remedial action" to address the problem.

Graham Phillips, owner of Manor Pharmacy Group (Wheathampstead) Ltd, Hertfordshire, warned that the alleged "negligent" practice must not taint the whole profession.

"It's unrepresentative of pharmacy and the public see that it's unrepresentative so we mustn't talk ourselves down," Mr Phillips argued.

The British Homeopathic Association said cases such as Mr Pinkus's were extremely rare and said it fully supported the MHRA's work to ensure the correct labelling of homeopathic medicines.

"It is our understanding that the labelling issue flagged by the producers of BBC Inside Out was immediately resolved, with Ainsworths withdrawing the product(s) from sale," a spokesperson told C+D.

Mr Pinkus was not available for comment.