State Legislature Position Paper 2019Overview: Bills HB 1630 and SB 5752 update naturopathic scope of practice to ensure that patients receive optimal primary care services from naturopathic physicians (NDs).

Naturopathic physicians (NDs) are helping to address the primary care shortage withover 350 participating in the Medicaidand the Indian Health systems. In some areas, NDs are the only available healthcare providers.

​This bill enables NDs to provide evidence- based, best practices for the increasing number of patients choosing naturopathic medicine.

The bill expands naturopathic prescriptive authority for a limited number of controlled substances, in Schedule III – V only. It excludes all Schedule II medications, such as Vicodin and oxycodone.

Expanded prescriptive authority facilitates appropriate management of patients already taking controlled medications and reduces the need for emergency department or additional provider visits for common conditions manageable in the primary care setting.

Naturopathic education requires a minimum of four years postgraduate study and is federally recognized and accredited. Pharmacology credits meet or exceed those required of nurse practitioners. The bill requires rules for supplemental education related to additional controlled substances.

A 2014 Sunrise Review included DOH and HCA support for limited expansion of controlled substance authority for NDs – beyond the expansion requested in this bill.

The bill updates RCW 18.36A to recognize the Board of Naturopathy, rather than the Secretary of Health, as the rule making authority for primary care procedures, in the same manner as other professions (MD, DO, RN.)

The bill clarifies that NDs can sign public health forms such as death certificates, disability forms, guardianships and related documentation the same as other primary care providers.

Washingtonians will benefit from this bill via greater access to primary care services and more effective and efficient care management from their naturopathic primary care providers.

​Contacts: Brad Tower, WANP Lobbyist, 360-742-3500, btower@phillipsburgessgr.comRobert May, ND, Executive Director, 206-547-2130, executive@wanp.org