Why should California pass SB 907 to license Naturopathic Doctors?

1) Now is the time for California to license naturopathic doctors (NDs) in response to the high consumer demand for doctors trained in natural medicine:

  • Naturopathic doctors are trained as primary care providers of natural medicine to prevent, diagnose and treat disease with an array of supportive, natural medicines.
  • All states that license NDs (including California’s neighboring states of Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Alaska and Hawaii) require a doctoral-level, resident program of at least 4100 hours of study from a college or university accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the US Department of Education. It is time California “catches up” to the regulatory model that is working to provide consumer access to this profession in surrounding states.
  • The California Association of Naturopathic Physicians and the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians receive hundreds of inquires monthly from consumers seeking referrals to doctor-level trained NDs.
  • Federally recognized standards of education and professional accountability exist for naturopathic doctors.

2) Californians are confused and at risk of harm due to lack of adequate regulatory standards:

  • Licensure of qualified NDs is necessary for the same reasons that California licenses other doctor-level trained practitioners: consumers deserve comparable regulatory standards and oversight mechanisms for all healthcare professionals.
  • Licensing provides a clear and unequivocal means for the public to identify and rely upon graduate-level trained Naturopathic Doctors. There is evidence of public harm when consumers cannot distinguish them:
  • A tragic case occurred in North Carolina in 1999 when a person calling himself a naturopathic doctor persuaded the mother of an 8 year old, insulin-dependent diabetic girl to discontinue insulin injections and treat her with herbs instead. She died soon after.
  • In October 2002 in Van Nuys, California, a man died after receiving a fatal injection from a woman calling herself a naturopath.
  • Note: Like California, North Carolina has no recognition system in place regarding naturopathic practice. It must be noted that these “naturopaths” were not graduates of an accredited four-year naturopathic medical school and yet were able to use the title with a tragic outcome.
  • To prevent tragic incidents like these, it must be mandated that those who call themselves naturopathic doctors meet rigorous standards in education, testing, primary care, and safe practice.

3) Licensing Naturopathic Doctors benefits Californian consumers:

  • Improved public safety through oversight and recourse by a regulatory board or agency whose mission is to protect the public.
  • Improved public health when consumers have access to preventative and wellness care that has been shown to reduce the rates of illness and chronic disease.
  • Allowing consumers greater choice from a broader range of effective and highly trained health care providers.
  • Increased economic opportunities for Californians: there are plans for four-year, in-residence naturopathic medicals schools and research opportunities to open in California.
  • Standardization of requirements for the practice of NDs consistent with surrounding states.

4) Licensure of NDs is the next step in regulating the practice of alternative medicine:

  • In 2001, UCSF’s Center for the Health Professions performed a health policy analysis of naturopathic practice and described two primary naturopathic practitioner groups*:
  • The first group represents “naturopathic physicians”. These are doctors who have graduated from four-year graduate-level programs that prepare them to be primary care providers. Members of the California Association of Naturopathic Physicians, sponsors of this legislation, are included in this group.
  • The second group were referred to as “naturopaths” because “they have a much more varied set of pathways for entry into practice and training ranges from self-instruction and apprenticeship to more formal courses of study…this second title avoids the use of the word doctor, as this implies a more formal and systematic course of study, regardless of which tradition one works in”. Practitioners in this group are not qualified to meet the licensing standards proposed in this legislation.
  • Last year, SB 577 provided improved access to lay and professional alternative health care practitioners, (including “naturopaths”) who are not trained to function as doctors who diagnose and treat disease.
  • Because SB 907 is a title act that defines a scope of practice commensurate with training, licensing NDs provides no threat to any practitioner group, but instead provides a complement to the existing health care professions.
  • SB 907 is the next step in the State’s process of developing regulatory oversight and management of the growing California trend toward consumer use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Conclusion: It is the duty of the legislature to ensure public safety and welfare. Licensure of naturopathic doctors improves public health and safety by requiring the highest level of accountability for healthcare practitioners entrusted to diagnose and treat disease using physician level training and interventions. Establishing high standards for licensure means that, as more consumers turn to natural medicine, they can be confidant that the qualifications for the use of the “naturopathic doctor” title include graduation from an accredited school and successful completion of a stringent licensing examinations, two vital prerequisites for the safe practice of naturopathic medicine.

* Profile of a Profession: Naturopathic Practice. O’Neill, Dower, Hough, UCSF Center for the Health Professions, 2001, pp.1-4. Available on-line at or 415-476-8181

For more information, contact:

Governmental Consultants:

Chuck Cole: Advocation Inc: 916-447-8229

Judy Wolen: 916-443-1344

CANP Contacts:

Sally LaMont, ND, LAc, Ex.Dir: 415-453-0708

Beth Wotton, ND, VP and Legislative Chair: 415-606-6992

Prepared by: The California Association of Naturopathic Physicians: 1-800-521-1200 06/17/03