Naturopathic medicine may soon be recognized and regulated in Wisconsin after a bill to regulate naturopathic medicine passed both the House and the Senate. The bill has bipartisan support but has been met with mixed reactions in the state’s medical community.
MADISON, Wis. — Naturopathic medicine may soon be recognized and regulated in Wisconsin after a bill to regulate the practice passed both the House and the Senate. The bill has bipartisan support but has been met with mixed reactions in the state’s medical community.
Licensure or registration for naturopathic doctors, an alternative family medicine with a focus on natural remedies, is permitted in 23 states, mostly in New England and the West. The Wisconsin Naturopathic Association has been lobbying for licensure since 2006, but it’s only in the past three years that the association has stepped up its efforts, said Dr. Jill Christa, treasurer.
The Medical College of Wisconsin has voiced opposition to the bill, and the Wisconsin Medical Association initially opposed it but has now taken a neutral stance. Dr. Wendy Morasca, president-elect of the Wisconsin Medical Association, explained that one reason for this is that the bill would not just allow the practice, but would also help regulate it.
“It’s a good idea to have a board to regulate naturopaths, just like there are boards to regulate medical doctors,” Dr. Morasca said.
The bill would create a seven-member board to license naturopathic doctors but would not allow them to write prescriptions for controlled substances. The Wisconsin Medical Association was heavily involved in the amendments that brought about this change, Dr. Morasca said.
“There are a lot of differences in education and training for naturopathic doctors, whether they’re certified or not,” explained Dr. Morasca, a family physician who practices in Fitchburg. She said the differences in training have led some naturopaths to be opposed to gaining the ability to write prescriptions.
“We felt that the education was very different and that it would not be appropriate for naturopathic physicians to prescribe medications, including controlled substances, especially in light of the current opioid epidemic.”
Qualified naturopaths have four years of college education and attend naturopathic medical school. They start their training earlier than general practitioners, said Dr. Christa, a naturopath.
“We’re trained with a focus on naturopathic medicine and hope to help people move away from more intrusive, expensive treatments to treatments they have more control over,” Dr. Christa said. “Naturopathic medicine is essentially nature-oriented primary care.”
Natural Therapies and the COVID Vaccine
In early January, a Madison-based naturopathic doctor testified before a state House committee about COVID-19 vaccines, saying he wouldn’t recommend the shot for most of his patients under the age of 80 and doesn’t believe vaccines and mask-wearing are the path to ending the pandemic. Though it’s not naturopathic doctors’ specialty, the majority of the scientific community, including experts trained in epidemiology and infectious diseases, agree that vaccines are safe and effective at preventing severe hospitalization and death.
“I don’t think it fits with any of the science,” Dr. Aaron Henkel, a licensed physician in Washington state, said of vaccines and masks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and all major public health and medical organizations in Wisconsin support the COVID vaccine as scientifically effective at protecting most people from severe COVID infection. (Unvaccinated people are 11 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID and 12 times more likely to die, according to Department of Health Services data. These statistics are even higher in other parts of the country.)
At the same time, some naturopathic doctors have written public op-eds in support of the vaccine, with one even offering advice in Mother Jones magazine on how to deal with vaccine deniers. The Oregon Association of Naturopathic Doctors has issued a statement in support of the vaccine. But when asked if he would recommend the COVID vaccine for the majority of his patients, Dr. Christa, who represents the Wisconsin naturopathic chapter, said he didn’t want to discuss it at this time.
“We’re working hard to help patients fully understand the risks and benefits and make their own choices,” she said. “Some people don’t have the immune system or a good response when they get vaccinated.”
The CDC says the vaccine is safe and appropriate for immunocompromised people who are at higher risk for severe COVID-19, and the medical community supports that the vaccine is safe for the overwhelming majority of people.
“It’s very rare to find a doctor who doesn’t support vaccinations, but you can find them,” Dr. Morasca said of non-naturopathic general practitioners, and warned against painting the entire neurological disorder with the same anti-vaccine brush. But she noted it’s important for naturopaths to stay within the scope of their training.
“The conventional view of most doctors is that it works to some extent, but the scope of practice is limited,” Dr. Morasca said, pointing to more obvious benefits such as basic nutrition and exercise that many naturopathic doctors recommend.
“The best naturopaths, the best physicians, are those who know their limitations. As a family physician, I perform a full range of diagnoses, procedures and treatments, but I also know my limitations.”
Promoting regulation
According to Dr. Christa, the first state law permitting the licensing of naturopaths was enacted in Washington state in 1919. Connecticut followed suit in 1920, and today nearly half of all states (plus the District of Columbia and two territories) have laws regulating naturopathic medicine. However, fewer than half of those allow naturopaths to prescribe controlled substances.
States opposed are primarily in the Midwest and South, but Minnesota allows the practice.
“This isn’t just a West Coast or hippie thing, it’s a national phenomenon and the Midwest is catching up,” Dr. Christa said.
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ office did not respond to questions about whether the governor plans to sign the bill into law.
Photojournalist Lance Hite contributed to this report.
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