Naturopathic Physician Pros And Cons

Over the past 10 years, the pharmaceutical formulary for licensed Naturopathic Physicians has absolutely expanded. In many states where Naturopathic Physicians have licensure, they also have the ability to prescribe pharmaceutical drugs to help their patients. While the Physicians may not always choose to go with pharmaceuticals as a treatment choice, they have the option if that is what they and their patients think is best. The state that has experienced the most expansion has been Oregon, but each state has its own formulary which Naturopaths can work from. If I end up working in a licensure state, it will be important to have pharmaceuticals as an option to treat my patients. My main goal as a Naturopathic Physician is to help my patients

While licensed NDs can still work in non-licensure states, NDs are not allowed to work to the fullest extent of their training. Due to the restrictions on how much they can do for their patients, Naturopathic Physicians are not able to help their patients as much as possible. These restrictions hurt the patients in the long-run, because the Physicians cannot use every tool in their arsenal to help heal their patients. The number of states that have licensure laws has increased from 14 to 20, including the District of Columbia and two US territories, within the past 10 years (AANP). That means only 34% of the states have Naturopathic licensure. While this is an increase from 28%, it is not a significant increase and means that a majority of people living in the United States are without a licensed Naturopathic Physician in their area. However, considering that the American Medical Association is working to prevent licensure for Naturopathic Physicians on a national level, the growth of the number of states that allow licensure can be seen as significant. As a Naturopathic Physician, I will continue to work at the state level to ensure that states continue to pass licensure laws for Naturopathic Physicians so that NDs can continue to help as many patients to the full extent of their

A variety of major healthcare systems are working to become more inclusive and develop a stronger collaborative care model. One of the most well known ones is the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, where they employ Naturopathic Physicians to focus on reducing the risks associated with cancer treatments (www.cancercenter.com). Naturopathic Physicians, Oncologists, and other medical professionals work side-by-side to ensure that the patient has the best chance at defeating the cancer that is killing them. Conventional medicine and complementary medicine work together to ensure that the patient’s treatment helps them get better. This integration is an example of the integration that should be spread throughout the medical profession. As a naturopathic physician, I will work to continue this level of integration beyond the field of oncology. I want to always work with my patients and other medical professionals to ensure that the patients are receiving the care that best helps their particular situation. Each patient is different and responds to different treatment modalities better than others. As a naturopathic physician, I will be skilled in a range of those modalities, but not all of the modalities that could help my patients. I want to work with other health practitioners to ensure that my patients