FEATURE PRACTICE MANAGEMENT DRUg DEbATE T Chiropractors divided on issue of prescription rights, but some common ground exists between these two sides by mAri-Len de guzmAn here is a battle brewing south of the border and it’s essentially pitting chiropractors against each other – with one side pushing for drug prescrip-tion rights for chiropractors and the other side fighting to keep drugs out of the practice. Some say the conflict began in New Mexico when the state legislature passed a statute in 2008 granting chiropractors the authority to prescribe, admin-ister and dispense certain types of medication. Others, however, believe this debate has been a long time coming. “If the patient can benefit from something and you say, ‘No,’ because of your belief, you’re doing a disservice to your pa-tient,” says Dr. Rod Lacy, president of First Chiropractic Physician Association of America (FCPAA). Dr. Lacy is a chiropractor, but he is also a medical doctor, licensed to prac-tise in the Dominican Republic. The FCPAA, which according to Dr. Lacy has about 2,500 members to date, is calling for an expanded scope of practice for chiropractors to include drug prescription rights. The group will begin to actively lobby U.S. state legislatures for prescrip-tive rights beginning next year, Dr. Lacy says. By the looks of it, however, the FCPAA may have an uphill battle ahead, as rival (and older) association, the International Chiropractors Association (ICA), is bent on keeping prescrip-tion pads out of the hands of chiropractors. In New Mexico, the ICA has successfully filed a suit against the Board of Chiropractic Examiners to oppose its regulation granting authority to chiropractors to do injections on their patients. That dispute ended with the New Mexico appeals court ruling on the side of the ICA. Prescription of drugs in chiropractic is the subject of much debate within the profession, each side making a case for patient benefits. mAri-Len de guzmAn is the editor of Canadian Chiropractor and Massage Therapy Canada magazines. You can contact her at mdeguzman@annexweb. com. 28 Canadian Chiropractor October 2013 “One of the central tenets of the appeals court’s reasoning was that anything injected, by federal law, automatically falls under the category of a dangerous drug and the doctors of chiropractic are not allowed by law to prescribe dangerous drugs,” explains Dr. Michael McLean, president of the ICA. Dr. McLean argues drug prescription is not, and should not be, part of chiropractic practice, maintaining that the profession is a “drugless healing art” and should remain that way. “We already have a profession that prescribes drugs and per-forms spinal manipulation and that profession is called osteop-athy,” Dr. McLean says. “If we are going to be a profession that prescribes drugs and does spinal manipulation, then what is the need for (chiropractors) if we’re only duplicating osteopathy.” The ICA, on behalf of its members, has been actively work-ing to maintain the status quo for chiropractors in the U.S. with regards to prescription rights. New Mexico was a recent victory for the group. In other states, where the issue seems to be gaining momen-tum, the ICA also is making its position known. “Our members have requested that we be active in these other states,” says Dr. McLean. “This movement is one that is relatively recent and the ICA is determined that we will stand up for drugless chiropractic and we’re not going to back down. We are not going to compromise.” The ICA has more than 8,000 members internationally, www.canadianchiropractor.ca Photo: Shutterstock
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