The Vermont Association of Naturopathic Physicians last year asked lawmakers to allow naturopaths to prescribe the medicine that hastens death.
The group also wants the state to allow its members to sign an advanced directive, and advise patients during the signing of do-not-resuscitate orders.
The Legislature put a study group together to consider the changes to Act 39, Vermont’s medical aid in dying law, and that group recently published its findings, which recommended against making major changes to the law at this time.
“The key question for us was, can the requirements of Act 39 be responsibly filled by people who have the training that naturopathic physicians typically receive?” said Betsy Walkerman, president of Patient Choices Vermont, an advocacy group that supports the medical aid in dying law.
Walkerman said naturopaths, who generally use natural medicine to treat medical conditions, do not have the training to prescribe the lethal medicine that hastens death.
“The idea of prescribing these kinds of medications wasn’t necessarily up the alley of someone who has studied as a naturopath, looking at natural modalities,” Walkerman said.... legislative chair Steven Moore, in a letter to the Board of Medical Practice, said naturopaths could provide assistance as Vermont faces a shortage of primary physicians and access to health care.
“We are responding to ever-increasing demands placed on primary care, asking for greater collaboration, and believe our training is similar to other primary care provider types that complete [do not resuscitate / clinician orders for life-sustaining treatment] orders and participate in [medical aid in dying],” Moore wrote.
Ultimately the study group, which also included the Vermont Medical Society, Vermont Ethics Network and the Office of Professional Regulation, voted against changing the law.
The working group said naturopathic physicians did not have enough training in palliative, critical, and end-of-life care, particularly in hospital settings....