BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



          SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                             Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair
                            2015 - 2016  Regular  Session

          SB 538 (Block) - Naturopathic doctors
          
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          |Version: April 16, 2015         |Policy Vote: B., P. & E.D. 5 -  |
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          |Urgency: No                     |Mandate: No                     |
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          |Hearing Date: May 11, 2015      |Consultant: Brendan McCarthy    |
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          This bill does not meet the criteria for referral to the  
          Suspense File.



          


          Bill  
          Summary:  SB 538 would expand the scope of practice for  
          naturopathic doctors, to allow them to prescribe certain drugs  
          without physician supervision and to perform minor procedures.


          Fiscal  
          Impact:  
           Unknown additional enforcement costs to the Committee  
            (Naturopathic Doctors Fund). By expanding the scope of  
            practice for naturopathic doctors to allow them to prescribe  
            certain medications without supervision and perform minor  
            procedures, there may be additional complaints to the  
            Committee from patients that will require investigation and  
            potential disciplinary action. The extent to which this will  







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            occur is not known.


          Background:  Under current law, naturopathic doctors are licensed and  
          regulated by the Naturopathic Medicine Committee, which is  
          within the Osteopathic Medical Board. Naturopathic doctors must  
          complete four years of post-graduate training and take a  
          national standardized licensing examination. Naturopathic  
          doctors are not required to complete a residency training  
          program, as are medical doctors. 
          Under current law, naturopathic doctors can furnish or prescribe  
          Schedule III - V drugs, in accordance with standardized  
          procedures established by the naturopathic doctor's supervising  
          physician. Naturopathic doctors can order diagnostic imaging  
          studies (e.g. x-rays), but must refer those studies to a  
          properly licensed health care professional to interpret the  
          results.


          Drugs are classified into five schedules depending on the drug's  
          medical use and potential for abuse or dependency. Schedule I  
          drugs are considered the most dangerous and Schedule V are  
          considered the least dangerous. Schedule IV drugs include mild  
          narcotics, depressants, stimulants, and tranquilizers (such as  
          Xanax, Ambien, and Valium). Schedule V drugs include drugs with  
          limited quantities of narcotic and stimulant drugs (such as  
          cough syrups with codeine).




          Proposed Law:  
            SB 538 would expand the scope of practice for naturopathic  
          doctors, to allow them to prescribe certain drugs without  
          physician supervision and to perform minor procedures.
          Specific provisions of the bill would:
           Expand the kinds of imaging studies a naturopathic doctor can  
            order;
           Authorize a naturopathic doctor to perform operative  
            procedures relative to superficial lacerations, certain  
            superficial lesions, and superficial abrasions;
           Authorize a naturopathic doctor to prescribe, administer, or  
            order Schedule IV, V, and unclassified prescription drugs  
            without physician supervision.








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          Related  
          Legislation:  SB 1446 (McCleod, Statutes of 2012) allows  
          naturopathic doctors to independently prescribe and administer  
          vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other substances.


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