Regulation for Naturopathic Doctors

There is a crucial need in the state of Florida for the regulation of the practice of Naturopathic Medicine provided by licensed Naturopathic Doctors (NDs). Regulation will provide Florida citizens with a much sought-after choice for medical care within the healthcare system. It also gives healthcare consumers confidence that a naturopathic practitioner has met educational, clinical, and professional standards that qualify them to diagnose and treat their health concerns. Regulation holds practitioners to a code of professional ethics and gives citizens what they deserve: access to safe, effective naturopathic health care.

These days, many citizens attempt to self-medicate using over-the-counter herbs and nutritional supplements. Or, they may acquire such products from other types of wellness practitioners who have not completed medical or clinical training from an accredited educational institution. Without the knowledge that NDs bring to the medical community, the public is at risk for potentially fatal drug interactions and other health problems that can arise from taking supplements that have not been vetted for quality and purity.

In regard to health care choice and patient-centered care, the regulation of naturopathic medicine can help alleviate congestion in medical practices. NDs are able to work in primary care as well specialty areas of medicine. They are able to spend more time on the “whole patient,” addressing the biological, psychological, and environmental factors that contribute to one’s state of health. Naturopathic Doctors go deeper than just treating patients to alleviate symptoms, they seek to identify and heal the root cause of illness and return a patient to as vitally healthy a lifestyle as is possible for them.

Without regulation of naturopathic medicine and licensure for NDs, patients are robbed of an important healthcare choice, and remain at risk for health problems stemming from a lack of qualified naturopathic doctors in the medical system.