Several health professionals have criticized the listing of unrecognized medicines on the remote medical appointment platform Doctolib.
Among the professionals targeted by doctors on Twitter are practitioners of naturopathy and urinotherapy, considered alternative medicine that fall within the realm of well-being, not health. Especially since, among these practitioners, some have been trained by personalities with more than problematic methods. Doctolib reacted on Monday.
Alternative medicines referenced on a platform dedicated to health
This is not the first time that Doctolib has been criticized for its operation, but until now, the criticisms addressed to it mainly concerned the security of its users’ medical data. This time, it is the very offer of the French company that is called into question. Because this weekend, several doctors and scientists noted, on Twitter, the possibility of making “medical” appointments with professionals carrying out an activity not recognized by the Ministry of Health. If these professions are in principle not illegal, this still raises a question: is it the role of Doctolib, an increasingly hegemonic site in this sector, to reference these practitioners?
Another, more serious problem has also been raised. As noted on Twitter Tristan Mendes France, lecturer and member of the observatory of conspiracy, some of the accounts concerned do not stop at the practice of alternative medicine. They sometimes also actively promote openly conspiratorial theories or personalities, such as Thierry Casasnovas or Irène Grosjean.
The platform defended itself on Monday
Faced with the magnitude of the controversy, especially among experienced practitioners, Doctolib wanted to defend itself. With regard to the first point, she explains that she is not competent to decide which medicine is valid or not. However, it adds that it clearly indicates the practices that are not recognized by the Ministry of Health on its site, by displaying the mention ” This practitioner practices an unregulated profession on their profiles. Moreover, these practitioners represent only 3% of the total, and only 0.3% of the number of appointments.
On the other hand, the Doctolib teams announced the suspension of 17 accounts of professionals affiliated with conspiracy theories, and increased vigilance on the issue.
Source : Le Figaro, France Info
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