Naturopathic doctors in Alberta are seeking greater involvement in the province’s primary care network, especially when it comes to prescribing medications to patients.
“We’re seeing some changes in the primary care landscape in Alberta,” Rob Ross, president of the Alberta College of Naturopathic Medicine, said in an interview with CBC News this week.
“We wanted to talk to…” [Alberta Health Minister Adriana LaGrange] Discuss how naturopathic medicine professionals can assist with primary care management where appropriate. ”
With that in mind, Ross said he recently met with Lagrange to discuss how naturopathic doctors can be considered to alleviate some of the pressure on the system. Primary health care refers to the services Albertans use to support their daily health needs.
“If you look just to the west, naturopathic doctors in British Columbia are practicing in a much more substantial primary care capacity, and I think the regulations there are more commensurate with their training.” Ross said.
“They can prescribe Schedule I drugs, they can make referrals, they can order imaging rights.”
In 2009, British Columbia passed legislation that allows naturopathic doctors to prescribe Schedule I drugs, including some basic primary care drugs, with some exceptions.
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Rob Ross, President of the Alberta Association of Naturopathic Physicians, to discuss the role of naturopathic physicians in primary care.
People visit naturopathic doctors for a variety of health-related purposes, including primary care. Care, overall health, and… pic.twitter.com/eU5piJlJDm
The practice of naturopathic medicine refers to a loose collection of therapeutic methods that emphasize the use of “natural” remedies. The Alberta Association of Naturopathic Physicians says the practice “fuses modern scientific knowledge with traditional, natural forms of medicine.”
Treatments include clinical nutrition, homeopathic medicine, traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture, the association said.
The practice has been regulated in Alberta since 2012, when the Alberta Naturopathic Doctors Association was established to govern the profession.
This has drawn criticism from within the medical community, with some saying naturopathic doctors are practicing pseudoscientific practices. Some of those conflicts have made headlines. Naturopathy practitioners have long claimed that their methods aim to activate the human body’s natural healing powers.
Lagrange to utilize ‘all medical experts’
In his July mandate, Alberta Premier Daniel Smith told Lagrange to support primary care “as the foundation of our health system by evaluating alternative care models and leveraging all health professionals.” commanded.
Mr Smith has expressed support for funding natural health care in the past. some of her ideas Regarding the introduction of a $300 Health Savings Account to cover expenses not currently covered by the scheme. Exploring the feasibility of such an explanation was also part of Mr. Lagrange’s mandate.
CBC News reached out to Lagrange’s office to discuss, among other things, what role naturopathic doctors can play in primary care in the future, and whether funding for alternative medicine is being considered based on health spending accounting and other factors. We asked for comment on whether this has been done.
Ministry spokeswoman Charlotte Taillon said the minister had listened to Mr Ross’s requests but had not made any decisions regarding funding.
“The Government of Alberta recognizes the role that naturopathic doctors play in improving the health of Albertans,” Taillon wrote, adding that the minister has worked with “many stakeholders” over the past few months since becoming health minister. He added that he had heard requests from
The idea that naturopathic doctors prescribe drugs is controversial
Among the most vocal critics of naturopathy is Timothy Caulfield, Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy at the University of Alberta. He said giving naturopathic doctors the right to prescribe in Alberta would not only be controversial, it would be a “terrible idea.”
“I can’t stress this enough…this is not a science-based practice. Give them the power to prescribe? Oh no,” Caulfield wrote in an email.
For Caulfield, the issue goes back to how the practice was established around the theory of “vitalism,” which suggests there is a life-force energy that helps people become healthier. .
Controversial alternative treatments such as vitamin infusion therapy, homeopathy, and ozone therapy are all lacking in solid scientific evidence.
“We are also often offered unproven tests that can increase anxiety and lead us in the wrong direction. This is why we are trying to legitimize and normalize natural remedies as an advance on the traditional system. There are a lot of problems,” Caulfield said in an interview.
Future initiatives and lobbying activities
In addition to Mr. Ross’ meeting with the health minister, other groups are calling for naturopathic doctors to play a greater role in Alberta’s health care system. According to records in the Alberta Lobbyist Register dated Oct. 31, the Alberta Naturopathic Doctors Association is registered to meet with the Alberta Executive Committee, the Alberta Health Authority and the Alberta Legislative Assembly.
The goal is to lobby “for the role of naturopathic physicians in the health care continuum and updates on regulations and scope of practice to modernize the profession.”
Of course, Ross has heard concerns that while natural medicine may include legitimate medical treatments, it also includes areas for additional treatments that are beyond the limits of science.
He argued that much of what naturopaths are taught in school is based on primary care.
“I think it’s important, and it’s our responsibility as a profession, to make sure that we understand what’s in the literature in terms of what works and what doesn’t. I believe.” he said.
“And make sure you’re offering a treatment that’s effective, that there’s good scientific literature on it, and…make sure it’s also something that patients want.”
Mr Caulfield is unconvinced by such a view, suggesting it represents a “false dichotomy”. There are elements of naturopathic practices that are supported by science, such as emphasizing the benefits of exercise, sleep and nutrition, which should be done by family physicians, he said.
“Maybe they should be doing more of that, but good family physicians do it. The whole public health system is emphasizing that these are science-based strategies,” Caulfield said. he said.
“Pseudoscience cannot solve the problems that exist in traditional systems.”
Asked for additional comment in the Alberta Legislature on Wednesday, Lagrange said she and Ross had discussed the role of naturopathic doctors in Alberta.
“He just highlighted all the great work they were doing and that was the extent of the conversation,” LaGrange said.
A spokesperson for the Alberta Medical Association declined to comment.
