Colorado Medical Society

Introduced by: Christopher J. Unrein, DO, President

Subject: Licensing of Naturopaths

Referred to: Reference Committee on Board of Directors/Constitution & Bylaws/Credentials

WHEREAS, physicians take an oath to do no harm which makes patient safety issues of utmost concern, and

WHEREAS, there are individuals purporting to be naturopathic "physicians", and

WHEREAS, only doctors of osteopathy and medicine can, by statute, be called physicians, and

WHEREAS, there are naturopaths who have undergone extensive training in their field, and

WHEREAS, there may be more naturopaths who have not had this extensive training, and

WHEREAS, if an individual chooses to see a naturopath, for the patient's safety, that naturopath should be one who has benefited from the most extensive training, and

WHEREAS, this issue has recently been in the media and is likely to come before the legislature in the upcoming session, and

WHEREAS, it is important for CMS to have established policy on this issue, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Colorado Medical Society supports licensing only those naturopaths who have graduated from one of the schools accredited for doctors of naturopathy with a four-year post-graduate education, and be it further

RESOLVED, that these practitioners, whether licensed or not, continue to be prohibited from the use of the term physician and that any use of the term by a naturopath be subject to disciplinary action under the Medical Practice Act and the Naturopathic Act should one be enacted.

FISCAL IMPACT: None