Do Naturopathic Doctors Prescribe Medication?
Contrary to what you may believe, naturopathic doctors do not always have it out for pharmaceuticals. In some states, we can even prescribe pharmaceuticals. Most naturopathic doctors believe in a balance and do you remember that therapeutic order of naturopathic medicine? Sometimes drugs are needed after working up that pyramid and haven’t found success with natural remedies. Sometimes hitting a condition with the hard stuff is necessary. While I can’t speak for every ND, I do think most of us would agree there is a time and place for medication.
One example I use a lot is with SIBO. Have you ever heard of SIBO? SIBO stands for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. This is when more bacteria are found in your small intestine than is actually supposed to be there. The root cause of SIBO is multifactorial and symptoms range from extreme bloating to irregular bowel movements (diarrhea, constipation, or both) and more. This can be a hard condition to treat. As naturopathic doctors, we start at the bottom of the therapeutic order and make sure your determinants of health are in line (sleep, hydration, diet). We remove obstacles to cure (see ya high FODMAP foods) and then use some hard-hitting natural antimicrobials to kill the bacteria in the small intestine.
When you’re treating SIBO you’re usually in it for the long haul, so patients tend to fall off the protocol here and there, and that’s okay because no one is perfect. But even after months of dietary restriction, antimicrobial herbs, and headache, testing will show that the SIBO is still lingering. UGH! Frustrating for the doctor and the patient.
This is where antibiotics may come in.
Chances are if you have had SIBO you’ve heard of Rifaximin. This is the antibiotic for SIBO and sometimes naturopathic doctors or medical doctors will use this for a treatment of SIBO. After months of working, you need to know that something is going to help right?
This is why I like to say not all naturopathic doctors are against pharmaceuticals. We don’t want our patients restricting their diets for months or years on end with no relief, sometimes this can lead to more severe issues. We always try to keep our patient’s best interest in mind and first do no harm.
In certain states, naturopathic doctors have prescription rights, where they can prescribe anything a regular MD would. In others it might just be hormones or antibiotics, but some states don’t allow naturopathic doctors to prescribe medication just yet.
