BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  SB 1446
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   August 8, 2012

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

                SB 1446 (Negrete McLeod) - As Amended:  June 28, 2012 

          Policy Committee:                             Business and 
          Professions  Vote:                            9-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program: 
          No     Reimbursable:              No

           SUMMARY  

          This bill allows naturopathic doctors (NDs) to independently 
          prescribe any substances that require a prescription because 
          they are injectable solutions administered by intramuscular (IM) 
          or intravenous (IV) routes, and requires NDs to complete a 
          qualifying course in order to administer IV therapy.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Minor, absorbable costs to the Naturopathic Medicine Committee 
          of the Osteopathic Medical Board of California to incorporate 
          this bill's provisions and requirements into regulations related 
          to NDs' administration of IV substances. These regulations are 
          currently being drafted; thus, this bill's provisions will not 
          add significant costs. 

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  . According to the author, this bill will clarify 
            existing law for NDs pertaining to the prescribing and 
            administration of non-prescription substances that become 
            prescription substances solely depending on the route of 
            administration. One such example is delivery of vitamins 
            through IV administration. 

            Current law allows NDs to prescribe and administer certain 
            vitamins and minerals, including those intended for IM and IV 
            use.  However, the law appears unclear with respect to the 
            ability of NDs to independently prescribe and administer IM 
            and IV nutrients that are labeled as prescription drugs based 
            solely on the means of administration.  This bill would allow 








                                                                  SB 1446
                                                                 Page  2

            NDs to prescribe homeopathic remedies labeled as 
            prescription-only if those drugs are chemically identical to 
            those for sale without a prescription.

           2)Support  . The California Naturopathic Doctors Association 
            believes this bill would clarify existing law, and that NDs 
            can safely administer nutritional IV therapies.  There is no 
            registered opposition.

           
           Analysis Prepared by  :    Lisa Murawski / APPR. / (916) 319-2081