How are naturopathic doctors regulated in Ontario?
As with all health care professions, naturopathic medicine and naturopathic doctors are regulated provincially. In Ontario, a naturopathic doctor (ND) is a primary health care provider with at least 8 years of post-secondary education including a minimum of an undergraduate university degree followed by the completion of a rigorous, 4-year post-graduate Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine program and internship at an accredited naturopathic medical school. NDs must also successfully complete internationally and provincially standardized written and practical professional licensing examinations covering all aspects of naturopathic medicine, including anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, physical and clinical diagnosis, clinical nutrition, pharmacology, botanical medicine, homeopathic medicine, acupuncture, hydrotherapy, joint and soft tissue manipulation, healthy psychology/counselling, laboratory diagnosis, differential diagnosis, ethics, and emergency medicine. NDs must also undertake continuing education courses in the naturopathic modalities in order to maintain their licensed status.
In Ontario, NDs will continue to be regulated under the Drugless Practitioners Act until the transition to regulation under the Ontario Naturopathy Act (2007) of the Registered Health Practitioners Act comes into force (expected to take place in 2012). The Naturopathy Act includes title protection for NDs, secures the legal use of the "Dr." designation, and awards prescribing authority to Ontario NDs. This is important to patient care in that through working with an ND, patients will have maintained access to natural substances that have been listed as "prescription-only" but that may not be a part of a conventional MD's training.
Naturopathic doctors are trained to diagnose and treat a wide variety of conditions in patients of all ages. They are also trained to recognize and manage medical emergencies and to know when to refer patients for various concerns and procedures. NDs work cooperatively with all members of a patient's health care team and encourage all patients to work with an MD and/or nurse practitioner in addition to using naturopathic medicine as primary or complementary care.
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