Keep your options open, Support Naturopathic Doctor's
by Dr. Miki Finlayson, Naturopathic Doctor on 05/14/12
Naturopathic Doctors provide intramuscular therapies and intravenous therapies with an array of benefits to our patients. If you would like to maintain your right to receive such therapies, please help us ensure state laws to do so.
Support SB1446 our hearing is May 17th.
Support naturopathic medicine by writing, calling or emailing your california congressman or congresswoman today!
Find your senator here or at http://senate.ca.gov/
You may use this template:
Senator _____
Senate Business, Professions, and Economic Development Committee
State Capitol, Room _____
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: Support SB 1446 (Negrete McLeod)
Dear Senator _______,
I am writing in support of SB 1446 (Negrete McLeod). This bill will clarify the existing law regarding the practice of naturopathic doctors.
The Naturopathic Doctors Act, SB907 (Burton, 2003), licensed naturopathic doctors (NDs) in the State of California. The intent of SB907 was to allow naturopathic doctors to independently administer nutritional therapy by intramuscular (IM) and intravenous (IV) routes. However, conflicting federal regulations regarding IV therapy has resulted in legal ambiguity. Under federal regulation, all injectable solutions must be labeled as "prescriptions" regardless of their chemical composition (even if they are vitamins and minerals). Existing law requires a naturopathic doctor to have a supervising MD or DO when prescribing drugs (with the exception of hormones, which NDs may prescribe independently). As a result, there is confusion about the ability of a ND to provide IV nutrients without a supervising MD or DO.
SB1446 would clarify the original intent of the Naturopathic Doctors Act by specifying that naturopathic doctors may independently prescribe substances (such as vitamins, minerals and amino acids) that would not ordinarily require a prescription except that they become a 'drug' because of the route of administration (IM or IV). SB1446 does not alter the scope of practice for naturopathic doctors; it simply clarifies the original statute.
I am a [state your desire and experience for Intramuscular and IV therapy]
For these reasons, I ask for your support of SB 1446 (Negrete McLeod).
