NATUROPATHY IS A DISTINCT AND COMPLETE SYSTEM OF HEALTH CARE.
- Six foundational principles underpin the practice of naturopathy.
Refer to the Australian Naturopathic Practitioners Association (ANPA) Statement.
- First do no harm.
- Practice the healing power of nature (Vis Medicatrix Naturae),
- Identify and treat the cause whenever possible, not only the symptoms.
- Treat the whole person,
- Practice prevention – the best “cure”.
These six principles are kept in mind when a naturopath takes your case, develops a treatment plan and also offers maintenance for long term good health.
> Duty of Care: This duty is extended to patients who entrust themselves into the care of a naturopath due to illness, or to those seeking advice for health maintenance, or to those whose aim is prevention of disease.
> Naturopathy is both an art and a science. Naturopaths are prevention medicine specialists. Today, naturopaths use scientific evidence as well as traditional evidence in their practice.
> Naturopathic case-taking often uncovers disease long before it has become a diagnosable pathology.
> Naturopaths treat both acute and chronic conditions.
> Naturopathic care is well suited to anyone at any age.
> Naturopaths have many answers for common conditions.
> Naturopaths use various modalities in their practice. These may include herbal medicine, nutritional medicine, homeopathy, dietary and lifestyle advice, and massage therapy. Referral to medical doctors, chiropractors, and other health professionals is part of the protocol.
Naturopaths are accredited with training minimum of an Advanced Diploma and many have Bachelor’s degrees and beyond. Naturopaths offer the public significant health support providing millions of consultations with good outcomes across the nation each year. Naturopaths work alongside GP or other health professionals to offer the best patient centered care.
The Doctor of the future will give no medicine but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease. Thomas A Edison 1847-1931
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NATURAL HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY OVERVIEW
Complementary Healthcare Council (CHC) http://www.chc.org.au
Represents all business involved in the natural health industry to government and media.
Complementary Medicines Australia (CMA) is the peak industry body for the complementary medicines industry representing manufacturers, raw material suppliers, distributors, consultants, retailers, allied health professionals and educators.
It is unique in representing all stakeholder groups in the complementary healthcare industry. Members include importers, exporters, manufacturers, raw material suppliers, wholesalers, distributors, retailers, practitioners, consultants, direct marketers, multi-level marketers and consumers. It is the principal reference point for members, the government, the media, and consumers to communicate about all issues relating to the complementary healthcare industry.
The CHC has invested on behalf of the Complementary Medicine Industry to provide access to the Natural Standard database for its financial members. ‘Natural Standard’ was founded by healthcare providers and researchers to provide high-quality, evidence-based information about complementary and alternative therapies and products. Grades reflect the level of available scientific data for or against the use of each therapy or product for a specific medical condition.
Natural Standard provides evidence-based, peer-reviewed, consensus-driven, decision support tools for sponsors, manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, practitioners, and consumers.
Extract from http://www.health.gov.au: Dept of Health & Aging
Submission by CHC to NICNAS October 2012.
“The Complementary Healthcare Council of Australia (the CHC) is appreciative of the opportunity to provide this submission on the Review to the National Industrial Chemicals Notification and assessment Scheme (NICNAS), dated June 2012.
Complementary medicines and natural healthcare products are vitamins, mineral and nutritional supplements, special purpose foods, herbal and homeopathic medicines, aromatherapy products, and natural cosmetics using herbals and botanicals. Roy Morgan Research indicates that almost 75 per cent of Australians use complementary medicines. Recent research showed that up to 2 billion dollars is being spent by consumers on complementary medicines and healthcare annually. With figures like these, it is clear that complementary medicines play a significant role in the health care choices of contemporary Australians.
There are over 300 complementary medicine companies in Australia generating around $2 billion in annual revenues. Australian companies export around $200 million in complementary medicines to more than 20 countries in Southeast Asia, Europe, and The America’s, and this continues to grow at higher rates than domestic consumption. In Australia, the industry generates around 5,000 highly skilled manufacturing jobs, and indirectly supports a further 60,000 jobs. The global market has been estimated at $US 83 billion annually. The production of complementary medicines in Australia is a substantial industry, with approximately 59 TGA approved manufacturing facilities for listed medicines nationally (including CAM’s, sunscreens, and over-the-counter medicines). Australia’s medicines industry continues to lead the world in the development of global benchmark standards in safety, quality and efficacy.
The contribution made by complementary medicines to improving population health outcomes is supported by a large and constantly growing evidence base. This is particularly the case for major products such as multi vitamins, vitamin B, and fish oil, which together account for approximately 50 percent of complementary medicine sales in Australia. There are approximately 10,000 such medicines available on the Australian market. The evidence suggests that selected complementary medicine interventions are more cost-effective in dealing with minor conditions than the available pharmaceutical medicines on the market (for some the cost differential is up to 70 per cent), and their efficacy has been recognized by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).” End of excerpt.
Australasian Integrative Medicine Association http://www.aima.net.au (AIMA),
Integrating complementary and mainstream medicine. See website for the aims, philosophy and core values of this organisation. The purpose is to bring respect and to integrate both allopathic and naturopathic bodies of knowledge in health care.
AIMA Mission Statement: To act as the peak medical body promoting the practice of evidence-based integrative medicine, research and education as the gold standard for optimizing wellbeing, prevention and management of disease in Australasian health care systems.
The Australasian Integrative Medicine Association (AIMA) is an independent not for profit organization of individual medical practitioners seeking to provide whole person medical care by integrating evidence-based complementary medicine into mainstream practice.
AIMA is supported by its membership and governed by a Board of voluntary doctors and academic leaders in the field of integrative medicine. Since its inception in 1992, AIMA has grown to be the leading voice for integrative practitioners. AIMA membership and successful events, including the International Holistic Health Conference, have helped promote the growing body of research and provide education about complementary medicines and therapies.
AIMA has forged relationships with key organisations such as the RACGP – through the AIMA/RACGP Joint Working Party, TGA and AMA as well as other professional bodies with an interest in integrative therapies. Currently AIMA has a special Joint Working Party with the RACGP (Royal Australian College of General Practitioners). AIMA works collaboratively with other associations such as the Australian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine (ACNEM) in a spirit of mutual support.
AIMA has prepared Position Statements on areas of complementary medicine such as Long Consultations by medical practitioners. AIMA seeks to ensure both practitioners and consumers have access to the best available knowledge about the benefits and risks of these modalities so that optimal patient care and good health can be achieved and maintained.
Professor Ian Brighthope and the Australian College of Nutritional and Environmental
Medicine (ACNEM) which offers post graduate courses for the medical profession have played an important role in placing nutritional medicine at the forefront of health solutions.
See websites https://nutritioncare.com.au/home/ and https://www.acnem.org/
DISPENSING NATURAL MEDICINE AND NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS.
The application of nutritional and herbal medicine to assist with disease states is an area for robust discussion between health professionals and between health professionals and the consumer.
Many are not aware of the intricacy of the industry and this article is meant to bring information to enable health professionals and the consumer to make decisions based on fact rather than hearsay or bias.
Concentrated supplemental foods and herbal medicines come in various forms. They are made as tablets, capsules, powders, or liquids to suit your lifestyle, needs and budget. Supplements manufactured as tablets or capsules to a medicinal or nutritive formula will display an “Aust L” number indicating TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) approval. All supplements with this identification are made to pharmaceutical grade standard guaranteeing purity and quantity and inclusion of all ingredients listed. Some supplements from the USA and some other countries that are not regulated as we are, may not contain ingredients as listed on the label. Australia is among the most highly regulated in the world for the manufacture or importation, and subsequent sale of nutritional supplements and herbal medicines which may be referred to as “complementary medicine”. It may be confusing for those who are seeking natural health supplements for the first time whether it is from the health food store, pharmacy, or from a natural health (complementary medicine) practitioner. The “Aust L” number is a guarantee of purity of ingredients listed on label and will be in the bottle.
Concentrated foods such as wheat or barley grass, spirulina, chlorella, protein powders derived from dairy or plant source, mixes of green or red powders with herbs and minerals, if not encapsulated or tableted may be marketed as a “food” and may not be scrutinized by the TGA. Be aware that imported powdered concentrated foods, if not marketed under a reputable label may have come from a country that has no food inspection regulations. Barcode check for goods made in China will be helpful: 690, 691 through to 695, also Thailand (885) and Vietnam (893). However, this can be deceptive also. Imported powders by Australian companies may be listed with an Australian barcode with ingredients listed as coming from imported and local ingredients without reference to the source of the imported ingredient(s).
Supplement manufacture in Australia covers two aspects to natural health care:
1. Manufactured for general retail distribution.
2. Manufactured for prescription by an accredited health professional as per the
TGA guidelines. See article “Professional Natural Health Industry Associations – TGA Recognised Healthcare Practitioners”.
As per the CHC report, the availability of vitamins and minerals, herbs and homeopathic is extensive in Australia and of the best quality. Supplements and concentrated or super foods for self-selection can now be found in supermarkets and pharmacy as well as the traditional area of health food stores.
Some training is provided by the supplying companies for staff who may be accessed for advice on what to take for a specific health problem and also about the quality of the brands. Health food store staff is generally more experienced, and it is worthwhile to ask if a qualified naturopath is available.
However, the onus is on the consumer to make a selection. It is comforting to know that the record of adverse reaction of death by vitamin ingestion is nil. However, some people will take too much supplementation and/or do not select the optimum remedy for them.
2. Supplements prescribed by TGA Healthcare Accredited Practitioners:
There are many companies which manufacture isolated nutrients and herbal medicines for use by practitioners because of the efficacy for specific disease states. These natural medicines will be labelled with the wording “For Practitioner Dispensing Only”. Isolated nutrients, whether in the form of vitamins, minerals, herbs or amino acids need to be correctly prescribed after proper consultation where symptoms are recorded, tests are completed, and foods ingested known to the practitioner. Treatment plans are formulated, and the client is expected to proceed with the treatment ongoing.
The prescribed supplements are to be detailed with dosage on written prescription and/or labelled accordingly. These supplements and herbal medicines are to be kept away from self-selection and out of view of the general public. Conditions of sale of these medicines are to be by script, or repeat script, or by recommendation of the attending naturopath. They are to be treated similar to an S3 prescription drug. Presentation of a valid script at any clinic, by a practitioner not of that clinic, may be filled by attending staff with confirmation check by a suitably qualified person e.g., naturopath, pharmacist.
Protocol for supply and sale of “Practitioner Only” (PO) Natural
Medicine in retail environment: Health food stores and pharmacy.
Practitioner Only Products: General Information – ex CHC Guideline for Sale &
Supply of PO Product Dec. 2011 p 5 – 3.1
Supply of therapeutic Goods to/by Complementary Healthcare Professionals.
PO products are only to be supplied to and dispensed by a healthcare professional as described in section 42AA of the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989. TGA Recognised Healthcare Practitioners: TGA Australian Regulatory Guidelines for Complementary Medicines, Part lV, Section 5 – Practitioner Products V4.2. August 2011 P21 – 5.3 referencing Section 42AA (1)(c) of the Act.
1. Medical practitioners, psychologists, dentists, pharmacists, optometrists,
chiropractors, physiotherapists, nurses, midwives, dental hygienists, dental prosthesis’s, dental therapists, osteopaths
2. Herbalists, homoeopathic practitioners, naturopaths, nutritionists, Practioners of traditional Chinese medicine, podiatrists registered under a law of a State or Territory.
Section 5.3.1: Purpose statements on “For Practitioner Dispensing Only” Product labels. …. Dispensing pack is defined in TG069 as follows: “In relation to complementary healthcare, (dispensing pack) means a pack which is to be supplied solely to complementary healthcare practitioners for supply to a person after affixing an instruction label following a consultation with that person.
Display of Practitioner Only Products – ex CHC Guideline for the Sale & Supply of PO Products Dec. 2011 p6 item 3.3. PO products should not be accessible or visible in any retail outlet, as they are not for self-prescribing. Inappropriate display of PO only products would include positioning a PO product where it may be able to be self-selected by a consumer, such as on the shelf amongst other retail products. PO products should not be accessible until after a consultation with a healthcare professional or upon presentation of a current script written by a healthcare professional. Supply to a customer who is not a client of the In-House Naturopath in retail business and has no script. Many people are not aware that taking an herbal medicine or nutrient intense product ongoing for years is not in the best interest of their health even though the item may have been originally prescribed by a naturopath or doctor. Redirection of those who ask for a PO product to their practitioner or contact the person’s practitioner for permission to dispense a repeat of the product is required.
Other options
> Refer to on duty Naturopath to consult with customer.
> Refer customer to Pharmacist.
Supply to a client of a private Naturopathic clinic.
The script may be filled by stock held by the practitioner or the practitioner may need to send the client to purchase the item elsewhere. Script for PO products or herbal medicines is to contain the following information.
> Practitioner name
>qualification
>address of clinic including contact number.
> Providor number and professional association.
Advertising and Marketing of PO products on the Net or news media of any kind: Refer to the document:
“CHC Guidelines for Sale and Supply of Practitioner Only Products Dec 2011.”
This document details in full all requirements for promotion of PO products and all complementary medicines.
There are strict guidelines re advertising as no therapeutic claims can be made unless substantiated.
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