October 2003

California becomes 13th state to license naturopaths

California naturopaths will join colleagues in 12 other states, plus Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, when the Naturopathic Doctors Act takes effect on January 1, 2004. The act, signed into law by Governor Davis near the end of his tenure, provides licensure to naturopathic doctors who have successfully completed a full-time, doctoral-level, accredited naturopathic medical program and passed approved exams.

Prior to this legislation, naturopaths in California were limited to practicing as health consultants. As licensed physicians, however, California naturopaths will be independent doctors and will be able to:

• Diagnose, treat and aid in the prevention of disease;

• Perform physical and laboratory exams for diagnostic purposes;

• Draw blood;

• Order lab tests and diagnostic imaging studies

• Use routes of administration, including oral, auricular, ocular, IM, IV, rectal and vaginal;

• Dispense, administer and order all nonprescription items including herbs, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, homeopathics and others;

• Perform physical medicine modalities, including hydrotherapy, massage, stretching, resistance and joint play examination, with the exception of small amplitude movement at or beyond the end range of normal joint motion; electromagnetic energy, colon hydrotherapy and therapeutic exercise;

• Prescribe natural and synthetic hormones, epinephrine for anaphylaxis and medical devices, such as knee braces;

• Perform limited minor office procedures, such as removal of foreign bodies in superficial tissues;

• Perform natural childbirth under restrictions similar to those of certified nurse midwives.

Other states that currently require licensure include Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Hawaii, Kansas, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, Utah, Vermont and Washington, as well as Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Naturopathic physicians (NDs) are trained in naturopathic medical modalities. In addition to the basic medical sciences and conventional diagnostics, naturopathic education includes therapeutic nutrition, botanical medicine, homeopathy, natural childbirth, classical Chinese medicine, hydrotherapy, naturopathic manipulative therapy, pharmacology and minor surgery.

Sources: California Association of Naturopathic Physicians (www.canp.org), the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (www.naturopathic.org).

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