Naturopathic doctor registration

Naturopathic practitioners with degrees from accredited medical programs recognized by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education would be able to call themselves “naturopathic doctors,” under a bill passed 90-42 by the House May 7.

Sponsored by Rep. Neva Walker (DFL-Mpls), HF1724 would allow about 25 individuals to register themselves as a “registered naturopathic doctor,” “naturopathic doctor” or “doctor of naturopathic medicine.” Only those practitioners with the medical degrees could use the titles and could display them in their place of practice.

The bill would create a Registered Naturopathic Doctor Advisory Council to oversee standards for registered doctors, distribute information regarding the standards, review applications, recommend granting or denying registrations and investigate complaints.

“There’s many individuals that think that the only practice of medicine should be in the medical community and scientific based without acceptance of what is going on in other countries,” said Walker, adding there is a difference between a person who has gone to medical school and one educated through experience. Registering those individuals in the state could bridge the gap between western medicine and the alternative healing community, she said.

The bill defines the registration requirements and states that individuals without naturopathic medical degrees are able to continue practicing without use of the three titles.

Allowing those individuals to register as doctors would give them “an exceptional or exclusionary practice to an exclusive clientele,” said Rep. Dan Severson (R-Sauk Rapids). The changes would put them at an advantage over other practitioners without medical degrees, he said.

“All this will do is recognize and raise the bar for a group of folks who have the credentials and additional education to be called registered naturopathic doctors,” said Rep. Laura Brod (R-New Prague)

Received May 8 from the House, the bill awaits action by the Senate Finance Committee. Sen. Patricia Torres Ray (DFL-Mpls) is the Senate sponsor.