Ben Hueso
- Democratic
Author
(1) Existing law, the Naturopathic Doctors Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of naturopathic doctors by the Naturopathic Medicine Committee in the Osteopathic Medical Board of California. Existing law authorizes a naturopathic doctor to perform certain tasks, including physical and laboratory examinations for diagnostic purposes and to order diagnostic imaging studies, consistent with naturopathic training as determined by the committee. Under the act, a naturopathic doctor is authorized to dispense, administer, order, prescribe, furnish, or perform certain things, including health education and health counseling. This bill would, instead, authorize a naturopathic doctor to perform certain tasks, consistent with the practice of naturopathic medicine, and would additionally authorize a naturopathic doctor to dispense, administer, order, prescribe, provide, or furnish devices and durable medical equipment consistent with the naturopathic training as determined by the committee. (2) Existing law, the California Uniform Controlled Substances Act, classifies controlled substances into 5 designated schedules, with the most restrictive limitations generally placed on controlled substances classified in Schedule I, and the least restrictive limitation generally placed on controlled substances classified in ScheduleV. Existing law states that nothing in the Naturopathic Doctors Act or any other law shall be construed to prohibit a naturopathic doctor from furnishing or ordering drugs when, among other requirements, the naturopathic doctor is functioning pursuant to standardized procedure, as defined, or protocol developed and approved, as specified, and the Naturopathic Medicine Committee has certified that the naturopathic doctor has satisfactorily completed adequate coursework in pharmacology covering the drugs to be furnished or ordered. Existing law requires that the furnishing or ordering of drugs by a naturopathic doctor occur under the supervision of a physician and surgeon. Existing law also authorizes a naturopathic doctor to furnish or order controlled substances classified in Schedule III, IV, or V of the California Uniform Controlled Substances Act, but limits this authorization to those drugs agreed upon by the naturopathic doctor and physician and surgeon as specified in the standardized procedure. Existing law further requires that drugs classified in Schedule III be furnished or ordered in accordance with a patient-specific protocol approved by the treating or supervising physician. This bill would instead provide that, except as specified, nothing in the provisions governing naturopathic doctors or any other law shall be construed to prohibit a naturopathic doctor from administering, furnishing, ordering, or prescribing drugs and would make a conforming change to the scope of the certification duties of the Naturopathic Medicine Committee. The bill would delete certain provisions described above restricting the authority of naturopathic doctors to furnish or order drugs. The bill would authorize a naturopathic doctor to administer, furnish, order, or prescribe Schedule III and Schedule IV controlled substances pursuant to a standardized procedure or protocol and under the supervision of a physician and surgeon, as specified. (3) Existing law, notwithstanding any provision of the Naturopathic Doctors Act, authorizes a naturopathic doctor to independently prescribe and administer certain things, including, among others, epinephrine to treat anaphylaxis. This bill would authorize a naturopathic doctor to independently administer, furnish, order, or prescribe Schedule V controlled substances and any drug approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration and labeled "for prescription only," except chemotherapeutics, that is not classified, after the completion of 12 months of physician and surgeon supervision, as specified, and would waive that supervision requirement for a naturopathic doctor who has completed a residency program, as specified, or who has a license in good standing and practiced for at least 12 months in another state where independent prescribing is within a naturopathic doctor's scope of practice in that other state.
From Assembly without further action.
Read third time. Refused passage. (Ayes 20. Noes 28. Page 6584.)
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 1.) (August 10).
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
August 3 set for second hearing canceled at the request of author.
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
August 26 set for first hearing. Failed passage in committee. Reconsideration granted.
August 19 hearing postponed by committee.
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 4.) (June 30).
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 21. Noes 9. Page 1215.) Ordered to the Assembly.
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 2. Page 1101.) (May 26).
Joint Rule 62(a) suspended.
Set for hearing May 26.
May 18 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.
Set for hearing May 18.
May 11 hearing postponed by committee.
Set for hearing May 11.
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 2. Page 794.) (April 27). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on B., P. & E.D.
Set for hearing April 27.
April 13 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on B., P. & E.D.
Set for hearing April 13.
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 29.
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.
| Bill Text Versions | Format |
|---|---|
| SB538 | HTML |
| 02/26/15 - Introduced | |
| 04/06/15 - Amended Senate | |
| 04/16/15 - Amended Senate | |
| 07/07/15 - Amended Assembly | |
| 08/17/15 - Amended Assembly | |
| 06/29/16 - Amended Assembly | |
| 08/04/16 - Amended Assembly | |
| 08/15/16 - Amended Assembly |
| Document | Format |
|---|---|
| No related documents. |
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