This year the Arizona State Legislature passed and the Governor signed two new laws related to naturopathic medicine and naturopathic physicians. One will allow naturopathic physicians to practice using telemedicine and the other will allow naturopathic physicians to continue to prescribe Hydrocodone combination drugs after the federal reclassification of this substance.
Senate Bill 1050 includes naturopathic physicians in the definition of health care provider within the telemedicine statutes. This allows our doctors to practice their full scope of practice using the modern technology of telemedicine. The law change will allow naturopathic physicians to collaborate with other health care providers in the care of patients using modern technology and communication methods. Naturopathic physicians and their patients will greatly benefit from this law change by allowing technology to bridge the geographic distance between a doctor and patient. Additionally inclusion in this area of law will allow naturopathic physicians to become part of the Arizona Telemedicine Program and enter into agreements to use the telemedicine network that has been developed across the state.
SB1050 was sponsored by Senator Gail Griffin on behalf of the AzNMA.
Senate Bill 1043 protects our doctors’ current scope of practice by ensuring that naturopathic physicians can continue to prescribe Hydrocodone combination drugs after they are reclassified later this year at the federal level from a schedule III to a schedule II. This legislation will also allow naturopathic physicians to prescribe any drugs reclassified after January 1st 2014 into a schedule II class.
SB1043 was sponsored by Senator Nancy Barto on behalf of the AzNMA.
Additional information on this legislation can be found http://www.azleg.gov/ or by contacting Mark Barnes at Barnes and Associates – 602-452-2946 or [email protected]
AzNMA Legislative Committee
