Frequently Asked Questions

Naturopathic Doctors are primary care practitioners providing care for all health concerns in addition to providing complementary or supportive care to conventional medicine.
An ND has a myriad of tools to assess and diagnose health concerns, including standard lab tests requiring as blood and urine samples. Combining scientific data with a compendium of natural therapies, an ND is able to treat beyond the physical to achieve balance with the body, mind and spirit.

A licensed ND is a primary care practitioner who is trained to diagnose, prevent and treat acute and chronic illnesses, prevent and treat acute and chronic illness and in some provinces, prescribe medications. By law, a naturopath is unable to provide a diagnosis or prescribe medication. Many years of commitment are required to become a Naturopathic Doctor. In Canada, as well as the United States, a Bachelor’s degree is required before attending a four year professional, in-person doctoral program accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME). The CNME is the only accrediting body for naturopathic medical programs in the U.S. and Canada that qualify graduates for regulation/licensure. Therefore, naturopathic students complete more than 4,100 contact hours of instruction, including at least 1,200 hours of supervised, hands-on clinical training. Upon completion of the program, naturopathic medical graduates must also pass North American standardized board exams. Only then, are they a fully qualified Naturopathic Doctor or Doctor of Naturopathy with the ND designation after their name.

Naturopaths on the other hand have access to any number of programs. Many are delivered online or via correspondence. Program length can vary from a few months to a few years to complete. There is no standardized or accredited curriculum nor supervised clinical experience. Individuals taking any of these programs are not eligible to write the North American standardized board exams (NPLEX) and do not qualify for regulation/licensure.

Naturopathic Doctors have a wide spectrum of employment opportunities aside from private or group practice. They work in government, hospitals, medical schools and integrated health clinics alongside conventional Medical Doctors and an array of integrated health care professionals.

The six principles of naturopathic medicine unite NDs across the world:

First Do No Harm

Core to all medical practice is the desire to help the human form and condition. NDs typically approach care by utilizing the most natural, and least invasive therapies. NDs will refer when the patient’s presentation is outside their scope or skill level.

The Healing Power of Nature

NDs recognize the value of our natural world in assisting the healing process. Not only do NDs utilize substances that originate in nature, but they also incorporate a healthy natural environment as the foundation to human health. Naturopathic Doctors recognize and harness the body’s inherent wisdom to heal itself in order to guide patients to wellness and total health.

Identify and Treat the Causes

There is a time and place for symptom suppression, however most naturopathic patients will benefit from identifying the underlying causes of illness and removing obstacles to cure.

Doctor as Teacher

Naturopathic Doctors elevate patient health literacy. That means that NDs work together with their patients to give a better understanding of what it takes to be and stay well. Through education and a trust-based relationship, patients better understand the steps they need to take to achieve and maintain health.

Treat the Whole Person

Naturopathic Doctors understand the interconnectedness of our body, our environment and our lifestyle on total health. It is only through this whole-person-based approach that NDs seek to restore balance and health.

Prevention

Naturopathic medicine affirms that it is better to prevent illness and suffering whenever possible. Through their comprehensive practice, NDs combine all six principles in order to identify potential areas of imbalance and teach patients how to get well and stay well.

There are typically three types of patients that seek naturopathic medical care:

• Patients that are looking for health promotion and disease prevention strategies. Individuals that recognize that health doesn’t just happen by chance, that it is a lifelong process that involves a clear understanding of the factors that affect health and how to deal with them on a daily basis.
• Patients that have a range of symptoms that they have been unable to address on their own or with the help of other medical practitioners. With Naturopathic medicine’s broad understanding of health and the relationship between health, life and the environment, Naturopathic Doctors are often able to offer patients a new perspective and provide safe and effective ways to restore health.
• Patients that have been diagnosed with an illness and are looking for treatment options. Naturopathic medicine is very effective in improving quality of life for those with serious and life threatening illnesses. It is used extensively and effectively for patients that are looking to combine conventional and naturopathic treatments with the aim of minimizing side effects to drugs, surgery or conventional treatments.

Most extended health insurance plans in Canada cover naturopathic treatments. Insured patients are encouraged to contact their employer or individual insurance brokers to determine if they are covered and/or to request that their policy be extended to include naturopathic services if it does not already do so. Since naturopathic doctors use alternatives to costly techniques and drug therapies, more insurance companies are expanding coverage of this cost-effective treatment method. Some plans also include lab or diagnostic testing coverage. You can clarify coverage with your benefits manager. For individuals with a CRA-recognized health spending account, visits to an ND are 100 percent covered. Naturopathic medicine is currently not covered by any of the provincial health plans.

Naturopathic Doctors conduct a comprehensive intake focusing on a patient’s health history as well as their current medical issues. This history may involve a physical exam and the use of standard diagnostic instruments and laboratory tests. Naturopathic protocols are developed using not only standard lab tests but also lifestyle details such as dietary habits, emotional stress, exercise and exposure to environmental hazards.

Virtually all acute and chronic conditions may benefit from treatment by Naturopathic Physicians. Medical emergencies are referred to the local hospital.

No. In BC doctors must be licensed as either an MD or an ND. They cannot be licensed as both at once. In addition, MDs cannot bill for complementary medicine. There is a patient fee for complementary medicine provided by an MD (e.g., chelation) just as there is with seeing an ND. Most NDs provide primary health care; all licensed NDs complete certification exams in both pharmacology and pharmacognosy (i.e., the interaction of botanical medicines and drugs).

Yes. Naturopathic Physicians have been legislated in BC as primary care providers since 1923, first under an Act which included MDs then, in 1936, under distinct self-regulating legislation.

While interest in safe, effective, non-drug therapies waned with the postwar fascination of medical technology, there has been a marked shift back towards complementary medicine as an appropriate prevention and treatment tool. Naturopathic medicine is one of the fastest-growing health disciplines in Canada. In fact, in BC, the number of licensed NDs doubled between 2000 and 2010.

Many NDs in BC are trained and licensed to prescribe an extensive list of prescription medications. These may be used along with the previously listed therapies, as deemed appropriate, to provide primary care with a focus on wellness and prevention. Many botanical medicines, natural therapeutics and other traditional items had become “scheduled” or prescription only over the years; prescribing permits licensed NDs to access “historical use” natural medicines.