About five weeks ago, 30-year-old Jade Eric, who was seeking a “natural” treatment for eczema, died after naturopath Kim Kelly gave her an intravenous injection of curcumin. Her death sparked national outrage and naturopathic doctors scrambled to defend this pointless treatment. Now, details about Kelly’s practice and California’s imperfect regulation of naturopathic doctors raise the question of whether Eric would be alive today.
Almost a year before Eric’s death, a complaint was filed against Kim Kelly, accusing her of subjecting patients to treatments using ozone, a toxic gas with no therapeutic value. The charges also included 33 other California-licensed naturopathic doctors who used or promoted so-called “ozone therapy.” According to the suit, Kelly underwent a procedure called prolozone, which involves injecting ozone into the joints to promote healing. But he also performed ozone infusion, which involves inserting gas into a patient’s rectum or vagina using a catheter. The complaint highlights the fact that naturopathic doctors in California are not permitted to use ozone gas and that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration: It is prohibited to sell ozone generators for medical purposes.
Rebecca Mitchell, executive director of the California Board of Naturopathic Medicine, the organization responsible for protecting the public through the regulation of naturopathic doctors in the state, said she would not comment on the status of any complaints the board may have received. He told me he couldn’t do it. However, the complainant, who requested anonymity, confirmed to me that Mr. Mitchell received the document on May 20, 2016. Mitchell told the plaintiff that the process could take months or years and that “she uses the same process and expert judges,” she said. Medical Board and Osteopathic Medical Board. ”
Mr Mitchell’s explanation appears to be inconsistent with the fact that the Board of Naturopathic Medicine relies on naturopathic physicians as expert reviewers for its cases to investigate complaints covering deviations from standards of practice. . However, there is no “standard treatment for naturopathic medicine,” something the commission recognized in 2009, and something critics of naturopathic regulation also recognized. This means that naturopathic expert judges are likely to deviate from medical consensus and must make ad hoc judgments. No lasting precedent can be established. For some influential naturopaths, the standard of care includes anything taught in naturopathic schools or performed by two or more practitioners.
Comparing the processing times for complaints against naturopathic doctors in California with those against other regulated health professionals reveals an alarming disparity.
Data source: California Department of Consumer Affairs 2016 Annual Report.
According to the California Department of Consumer Affairs’ 2016 annual report, medical boards and osteopathic medical boards took an average of 230 days and 170 days, respectively, to complete complaints and complete investigations. . However, under the supervision of Rebecca Mitchell, the Board of Naturopathic Medicine took an average of 797 days to complete its investigations and investigations. Medical boards took an average of 15 days to assign an investigator after receiving a complaint, while osteopathic medical boards took 32 days. The Board of Naturopathic Medicine once again fell behind, taking an average of 134 days to assign researchers. No other medical profession, from veterinary medicine to chiropractors, has taken this long for the Board of Naturopathic Medicine to begin and complete a review of its licensees. (Mitchell was unable to comment on these processing times.)
Had Kim Kelly been immediately investigated for using ozone, as she did in September 2016, she would have expanded her repertoire of intravenous (IV) treatments to include turmeric, a compound that medical chemists consider useless and potentially dangerous. may not have expanded the repertoire of medications to include curcumin. And it is touted as a panacea for alternative medicine. His license to practice could be suspended or revoked. By March 10, 2017, when Jade Eric received the curcumin infusion, 294 days had passed since the Board of Naturopathic Medicine received a complaint that Kelly was using hazardous substances and operating outside the scope of his duties. Was.
California’s Naturopathic Medicine Act, which licenses naturopathic physicians and defines the Board of Naturopathic Medicine, is scheduled to expire on January 1, 2018. The legislative process to determine whether naturopathic doctors in California will continue to be regulated as they currently are begins with today’s hearing. Senate Bill 796 was introduced in the Senate Business, Professions, and Economic Development Committee. The bill would extend the license until 2022.
California’s Board of Naturopathic Medicine has proven unable to adequately regulate naturopathic physicians. In the interest of public safety, California lawmakers have 1) allowed the current naturopathic medicine law to expire, 2) disbanded the Board of Naturopathic Medicine, and 3) removed already licensed naturopathic doctors. Action should be taken to bring regulation within the law. Medical Board of California. This regulatory realignment will encourage more patients from healthcare professionals with an unwavering belief that “natural” approaches, even those that use ozone gas, are safe and effective alternatives to trusted medical practice. It will be well protected.
