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Overview of Regulation and Licensure Canada Naturopathic practice is regulated under provincial law in four provinces: British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan, with legislation pending in Alberta. Regulated naturopathic doctors are required to complete three years of pre-medical studies at a recognized university, four years of full-time naturopathic education at an approved college and pass rigorous regulatory board examinations that are standardized across North America. Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors/Association Canadienne des docteurs en naturopathie 416-496-8633 /1-800-551-4381 info@naturopathicassoc.ca www.cand.ca Ontario The profession of naturopathic medicine has been regulated since 1925 in Ontario. The Board of Directors of Drugless Therapy - Naturopathy maintains a list of all naturopathic doctors who have met the requirements outlined above and passed provincial board examinations. Each active registrant is required to obtain 40 continuing education credits in each 24-month period, beginning with the 2005 renewal year. Ontario Board of Directors, Drugless Therapy - Naturopathy (BDDTN) Tel: 416-866-8383 office@bddtn.ca www.boardofnaturopathicmedicine.on.ca Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors (OAND) Tel: 416-233-2001 info@oand.org www.oand.org British Columbia Naturopathic doctors have been licensed in BC since 1936. The provincial licensing is conducted by The College of Naturopathic Physicians of British Columbia (CNPBC). Registered NDs in BC must complete 40 hours of approved continuing education within any 24-month period. CNPBC Tel: 604-688-8236 office@cnpbc.bc.ca www.cnpbc.bc.ca British Columbia Naturopathic Association Tel: 800-277-1128 bcna@bcna.ca www.bcna.ca Alberta The naturopathic profession is included under the Health Professions Act (HPA) in Alberta. Regulations for the profession have been drafted and are expected to be in place by June 2005. Continuing competence requirements (formerly known as continuing education) need to be met yearly. Restricted activities in Alberta are highly regulated and strictly enforced. Practitioners must meet the requirements for the restricted activities they perform in their practice and must maintain competence for them. Alberta Association of Naturopathic Practitioners Tel: 780-436-7100 miken@ecn.ab.ca www.naturopathic-alberta.com Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Association of Naturopathic Practitioners (regulatory body/provincial association) Tel: 306-955-2633 registrar@sanp.ca www.sanp.ca Manitoba Manitoba Naturopathic Association (also acts as regulatory body) Tel: 204-947-0381/204-956-1555 gordsims@mb.sympatico.ca New Brunswick New Brunswick Association of Naturopathic Doctors Tel: 506-693-2114 ckcolemannd@nb.aibn.com Nova Scotia Nova Scotia Association of Naturopathic Doctors Tel: 902-542-5560 wolfvillenaturopath@hotmail.com United States of America There are currently 13 states and two U.S. territories that license NDs. As of July 30, 2004 these states are: Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Kansas, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, Utah, Vermont and District of Columbia. There are also licensing laws in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Active legislation campaigns to license NDs are underway in Florida, Idaho, Massachusetts, Missouri, North Carolina and New York. The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) Tel: 202-895-1392 www.naturopathic.org Licensing Examinations To obtain a naturopathic medical diploma or degree that qualifies the recipient to sit for a licensing examination in a province or state with a licensing board and standards of practice, students must have attended a CNME-approved naturopathic medical program following three years of standard pre-medical education. NPLEX (Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Examination) NPLEX is the standard examination used by all licensing jurisdictions for naturopathic physicians in North America. It includes five basic science exams (anatomy, physiology, pathology, immunology, biochemistry, and microbiology), which are taken after the first two years of naturopathic medical school. The clinical science examinations are taken following graduation (after the fourth year of school). They include: clinical and physical diagnosis, laboratory diagnosis and diagnostic imaging, botanical medicine, pharmacology, nutrition, physical medicine, homeopathy, minor surgery, psychology and lifestyle counselling, and emergency medicine. Individual jurisdictions may give additional examinations in jurisprudence and acupuncture. Students entering the College in 2007 may be required to pass the first round of NPLEX before entrance to the clinic year is granted in 2010. Passage of the NPLEX is only one part of the requirements to become licensed in any of these jurisdictions, and passing the NPLEX does not guarantee that the examinee will be licensed. Note: Students who graduate from naturopathic colleges in other countries are not eligible to apply for the Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Examinations. North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners (NABNE) NABNE is a non-profit organization established in 1999. Its purpose is: to set policies regarding the qualifications of applicants to sit for NPLEX; to set policies regarding the administration of the NPLEX; to verify the qualifications of applicants to take the NPLEX and to administer those examinations at testing sites in the U.S. and Canada. For more information visit www.nabne.org Back to top