New Mexico Bill Would Treat Naturopaths Like Actual Doctors

[yortsed snacilbuper]

A bill granting naturopaths the authority to practice primary care medicine risks the health of New Mexicans and legitimizes fake medicine, the Center for Inquiry (CFI) warned the New Mexico State Senate. The Naturopathic Doctors’ Practice Act (SB 135) would grant licensure to practitioners of pseudoscientific treatments despite the lack of evidence for their effectiveness and the abundant evidence for the potential for harm to patients.

SB 135 states that naturopaths licensed by a state-approved board would be authorized to provide primary medical care to New Mexico patients, which includes performing physical examinations, ordering lab work and diagnostic imaging, and most troubling, the power to prescribe drugs and “administer intramuscular, intravenous, subcutaneous, intra-articular and intradermal injections of substances appropriate to naturopathic medicine.”

In a message to the Public Affairs Committee, CFI explained that naturopaths, who do not receive evidence-based medical training, subscribe to an array of baseless theories and practices that contradict fundamental scientific facts and principles, such as homeopathy, and that patients receiving these “alternative” treatments for serious ailments risk their health and even their lives.

“Despite this bill’s references to ‘naturopathic doctors,’ naturopaths are not physicians,” said Jason Lemieux, CFI’s Director of Government Affairs. “They do not receive serious medical training, they trade in bogus treatments like homeopathy, and they reject the evidence-based tenets of science. They should not be given similar medical authority as actual medical doctors.”
“Dangerous infectious diseases like the measles are making a frightening comeback in parts of the country where parents are falling for false anti-vaccine propaganda,” added Lemieux. “

By legitimizing fake doctors with this bill, the Senate risks adding New Mexico to the list of states scrambling to contain these outbreaks. How is this in the best interest in the people of New Mexico?”

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[Archae]

1. Who is pushing this bill?

And why?

[yortsed snacilbuper]

2. vitamin companies-money

Naturopaths, who practice an alternative medicine heavy on herbal supplements, are making a big push to gain more authority and stature across the United States, including the right to do more hands-on patient care and to be reimbursed by Medicare.

That’s raising concern among critics who see naturopaths as quacks — and who warn that offering them state licenses, insurance reimbursements, and other recognition only legitimizes their pseudoscience.

“You don’t want to regulate the snake-oil salesmen,” said Steven Salzberg, a computational biologist at Johns Hopkins who has been a vocal critic of naturopaths. “They don’t offer something that works to begin with.”

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[janx]

3. kick

I am looking this up now.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

4. No no no no no no no no

[marlakay]

5. Not fake doctors and they go through same medical

Training and colleges just different internship. I go to a naturalpath doctor he prescribes pharmaceutical drugs as well as supplements and what i get from it is their focus is on why you got sick not the symptoms.

And you get a 30 min visit instead of 5.

I went to regular doctor about my stomach issues, he didn’t want to spend any time with me and no help at all so I switched to natural path, he listened to me really listened and helped me with my diet and yes some supplements but they worked more than taking regular stomach pills.

I haven’t had a real bad stomach time in at least 9 months and i use to have them a lot lasting a week or longer.

[MineralMan]

6. While some have decent medical training, by no means most.

Depending on the state, many naturopaths have very little medical training at all, and what they have is often bogus, at best. If your naturopath can prescribe prescription-only medications, he or she has more training than 90% of naturopaths.

In most states, prescribing privileges are limited to those with actual medical degrees. Such people are MDs or DOs.

Here, read this about licensed naturopaths in California:

https://www.calnd.org/scope-of-practice

[dalton99a]

10. It is scary

https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2016/01/shocking-confessions-naturopathic-doctor.html

[MineralMan]

14. It sure can be.

A few state allow licensed naturopaths to prescribe prescription-only drugs, do minor surgeries, and other medical procedures.

Other states restrict them much more. One of the problems is that there are two types of naturopaths. One type has gone through a 40-year program at a Naturopathy School. The other type still calls themselves naturopaths, but may have almost no formal education at all. Those naturopaths with no training can still hang out their shingle, but may not have many privileges.

Licensing naturopaths is increasing in the states. That, at least gives some semblance of regulation on them by the states. However, in other states all naturopaths are unlicensed and unregulated, even though they do not have prescribing privileges for prescription-only medications.

It's up to the patient to determine what training their naturopath has received. There are online schools, short courses, and other places that offer very attractive diplomas to hang on the wall. Let the patient beware!

[marlakay]

23. I am in Oregon not sure of laws there

I think mine has had more training he worked in Seattle before he moved here.

My blue cross covers him as eligible doctor and they are pretty tough on who they cover.

[dalton99a]

7. Yeah, herbs and spices are all you need

[OriginalGeek]

16. You only need 11 of them and clearly it works

[janx]

8. Listening to the NM Senate Public Affairs Committee discussion

on Jan. 31.

Apparently WA and OR have already passed such legislation. I respect the senators who sponsored the bill, but in this case I can't agree with them.

[rusty fender]

19. I couldn't find the names of

the sponsors of this bill on the The New Mexican site—who are they?

[janx]

22. Here:

https://www.nmlegis.gov/Legislation/Legislation?Chamber=S&LegType=B&LegNo=135&year=19

[Aristus]

9. I'm sorry. The OP (and New Mexico, evidently) is confusing naturopathic medicine with

homeopathic medicine.

Naturopathic medicine is science-based, evidence-based, and requires training at an accredited school before licensure. Naturopathic medicine includes treatments consisting of protocols such as rest, proper nutrition, exercise, massage therapy, immunizations, and natural remedies.

Homeopathic medicine is junk science, with no basis in scientific research, with 'treatments' consisting of such discredited protocols as magnets, aromatherapy, chanting, dancing, anti-vaxx idiocy, nostrums and medicines containing no efficacious active ingredients, diets claiming to 'cleanse the toxins' from your body (your liver and kidneys already do that quite well), and a lot of other hooey.

Long-time DU-ers know I have no time or patience for junk science and its practitioners. I wouldn't rush to the support of naturopathy if it wasn't scientifically valid. A classmate of mine in Physician Assistant School was originally a naturopath. And although now he's a practitioner of allopathic medicine like me, he incorporates elements of naturopathic medicine into his practice.

[eShirl]

12. my sister's naturopath uses a swinging pendulum as a diagnostic tool

seems like a junk science thing to me

[MineralMan]

15. It all varies widely from state to state.

Not all states even offer licensure for naturopaths at all. The ones practicing in such states are essentially unregulated, although they are restricted from prescribing prescription-only medications.

People need to look up their state's practices and regulations before consulting a naturopath. In some states, unlicensed naturopaths are still allowed to practice, with restrictions, even if the state licenses fully trained naturopaths.

Caveat Emptor!

[Aristus]

17. This right here.

I admit that outside of Washington State, I don't know what regulatory agencies consider naturopathic medicine. But a guy using a pendulum to diagnose a patient? He can call himself whatever he wants, I guess; but he's not a naturopath.

[MineralMan]

18. The word naturopath has a wide range of meanings.

There is no regulation, really on the use of the word to describe one's occupation.

Even in California, where licensed naturopaths with the appropriate, accredited training can prescribe pharmaceutical medications, unlicensed naturopaths are not prohibited from practicing and hanging out their shingle.

Patients, frankly, cannot be expected to verify the status of naturopaths.

That's the problem. If the sign on the door says "Naturopath," how do you know the difference, really, if you're looking for someone to check out a problem.

As I said, each state is different, and laws are changing quickly.

It's a consumer awareness problem, as far as I am aware, and not all states make finding out about the person you're seeing easy.

There are some naturopaths who are competent, I'm sure. But there are also plenty who have an online education of iffy quality, and some that have nothing at all except a book they've read.

In California, when I lived there, a woman I knew casually had to have her hand amputated after receiving an injection of tea tree oil to treat an inflamed finger. The person who gave her that injection was a naturopath. It cost her a hand. Now, the offender was prosecuted, sued and put out of business, but that didn't protect those he treated in the meantime.

[Aristus]

20. That's why I draw a distinction between naturopathic medicine and homeopathy.

n/t

[MineralMan]

21. The problem is that unlicensed naturopaths aren't all just homeopathic practitioners.

Naturopathy can include a whole long list of what are called "treatment modalities" in the business. And there are many, many such "modalities" out there, from crystal healing and aromatherapy to the application of hot rocks and various forms of massage, acupressure, and other things. Herbal medicine, homeopathy, quack diets and "micronutrient therapy" are also part of the naturopath's armamentarium. Many also do acupuncture, cupping and other Chinese medicine treatments after taking a short course in that "modality."

Naturopaths do them all, or at least some do. Licensed or unlicensed, naturopathy is a very broad term, which encompasses all sorts of diagnostic and treatment techniques, some of very dubious value.

You may draw a distinction, but that does not prevent people from calling themselves naturopaths.

[Quixote1818]

11. WTF????

This better go down in flames!

[Johnny2X2X]

13. "Alternative medicine" would just be called plain old "medicine" if it was proven to work

Now Naturopaths can sometimes offer scientifically proven methods, but too much of what they do is unproven mumbo jumbo.

I used to do web development for a company selling dietary supplements, they got in trouble with because they were claiming they treated all sorts of diseases. If your supplements treat diseases, they are simply called medicine.

Now that doesn't mean that changes in diet can't have tremendous health benefits and can't drastically reduce symptoms for some ailments. They can. And dietary supplements can have some value in that regard.

Homeopathy is completely false, it's worth nothing, you're literally taking a placebo, it's literally tap water with non significant traces of substances. (Hint, a lot of homeopathy is literally tap water with zero done to it, they just put a label on it saying it's got 4 ppb of some substance or some other immeasurable quantity.)

What is totally crazy now though is that companies are labeling dietary supplements as homeopathic medicines now. So they are taking something in dietary supplements that actually can have some health benefits and labeling it as something that has literally zero health benefits in homeopathy.

And Naturopaths certainly should not be allowed to practice real medicine. Giving medical authority to people with little to no medical training will result in death and suffering for many.

[EllieBC]

24. Insurers will love this.

Pay tens of thousands for chemo or maybe $200 for a bottle of turmeric and some deep breathing exercises to cure your cancer. Hmmmm...money in the bank.