title: Professional regulation: a potentially valuable tool in responding to "stem cell tourism".
abstract: The growing international market for unproven stem cell-based interventions advertised on a direct-to-consumer basis over the internet ("stem cell tourism") is a source of concern because of the risks it presents to patients as well as their supporters, domestic health care systems, and the stem cell research field. Emerging responses such as public and health provider-focused education and national regulatory efforts are encouraging, but the market continues to grow. Physicians play a number of roles in the stem cell tourism market and, in many jurisdictions, are members of a regulated profession. In this article, we consider the use of professional regulation to address physician involvement in stem cell tourism. Although it is not without its limitations, professional regulation is a potentially valuable tool that can be employed in response to problematic types of physician involvement in the stem cell tourism market.
authors.affiliation: Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada. Electronic address: amy.zarzeczny@uregina.ca.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zarzeczny
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Law and School of Public Health, Health Law Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H5, Canada.
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Caulfield
authors.affiliation: Faculties of Law and Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Law Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H5, Canada.
authors.forename: Ubaka
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ogbogu
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R7.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.
authors.forename: Valorie A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Crooks
authors.affiliation: Health Law Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H5, Canada.
authors.forename: Kalina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kamenova
authors.affiliation: Alden March Bioethics Institute, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208-3478, USA.
authors.forename: Zubin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Master
authors.affiliation: Health Law Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H5, Canada.
authors.forename: Christen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rachul
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Snyder
authors.affiliation: Health Law Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H5, Canada.
authors.forename: Maeghan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toews
authors.affiliation: Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada.
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zoeller
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D057193:Medical Tourism / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D010820:Physicians / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*