HPRAC Recommendations

Two years ago we were awarded the Naturopathy Act which puts us under the same regulation act as medical doctors (RHPA). There were a few things that were omitted and HPRAC, was put together to assess other parts of the profession. This week they came out with the recommendations to put forth to the Ontario government. Their recommendations were very positive for the profession.

HPRAC recommended that NDs should be awarded the controlled act of prescribing, dispensing, selling and compounding drugs in order to ensure that NDs can maintain access to restricted natural substances, and play a larger role in primary care.

HPRAC recognizes that NDs have the competencies required to prescribe and that this will improve access to care for Ontarians who chose NDs for their primary care.
This is key as we could potentially lift a bit of the burden off the healthcare system .... ER wait times or walk-in wait times...

HPRAC has recommended that NDs be able to prescribe specified classes of restricted substances. One class will be comprised of all restricted natural substances that are integral to naturopathic medicine, including amino acids like L-carnitine, restricted dosages of vitamins, and hormones. NDs would have access to all substances within this class, subject to the rules of the profession. HPRAC is also recommending classes of pharmaceuticals, including antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, CNS agents and dermatological agents. It is proposed that a drug list will be established to determine which specific pharmaceuticals within these classes NDs will be able to prescribe.

Let's see how the face of healthcare could change with naturopathic doctors being an integral part! It's a very exciting time for the profession and for healthcare in general. A preventative and wellness approach is much needed in our society with the increase in chronic lifestyle related diseases like diabetes and heart disease.