Political Update
April 2007
OHA Submission to the Standing Committee on Social Policy regarding Bill 171 (pdf document)
CCHA submission to Standing Committee on Social Policy regarding Bill 171 (pdf document)
Significant concern centres around the implementation of Bill 171, and specifically Section P outlining regulation for the new College of Naturopathy and Homeopathy.
This Bill has just passed second reading, and some sections must be addressed before it reaches third reading.
The following is a brief commentary on our concerns, prepared by Rick DeSylva:
This omnibus Bill covers a lot of ‘territory’ other than the specific regulation of Naturopathy & Homeopathy in Ontario; it may be viewed by clicking on this link:
Link to Bill 171
There may be an area that will require the attention of many natural health care practitioners - this is in the area of what constitutes a “specialty” of naturopathy.
In section 8, sub-section 3: “… no person other than a member shall hold him/herself out as a person who is qualified to practice in Ontario ( as a naturopath or homeopath) or in a specialty of naturopathy or homeopathy”
In 1984, when I helped represent the OHA (Ont. Herbalist Assoc.) at the HEALTH PROFESSIONS REVIEW, the naturopathic profession, in their fourth and final submission, laid claim to a number of modalities employed by other natural healthcare providers. This was in direct opposition to their stated / written earlier submissions, wherein they acknowledged other natural providers and their special area of expertise.
Herbalists, nutritional consultants, iridologists, live blood cell technicians, and others would have been dis-enfranchised by this attempt at control.
While I respect the naturopathic profession and recognize their success in this venture, I hold to the possibility that once again an attempt may be made to claim exclusivity in regards to a “specialty”.
Further on, in section 11: Regulations ( “.. the Council may make regulations..”)
sub-section (b):
“… governing the use of prescribed therapies..”
While I readily acknowledge that a read of this section may simply suggest that it applies to their members only, the context behind this concern is as follows:
HPRAC’s (New Directions April 2006, p 182 ) under ‘prescribing dispensing selling and/or compounding…”
HPRAC refers to an NHPD meeting on February 9/10 , 2006, where they advised of their interest in establishing a separate schedule for natural health products that are considered to be a higher risk. The naturopathic profession states that they have been advocating this limiting of who - public, or other natural health care providers, can have access to these substances.
The OHA Board of Directors have been following Bill 171 closely, analysing the ramifications it might have on the profession of herbal medicine and preparing documents to be sent to the responsible Ontario Minister of Health and Long Term Care to state our concerns. Letters were sent prior to second reading, which appear to have had little effect. We are now in the process of scheduling meetings with the Minister’s office, as well as preparing further written and oral presentations for the anticipated committee hearings.
Political Update, Fall, 2006
Political Update, Fall, 2004
Political Update, Fall, 2002
Political Update, February 2002
Political Update, March, 2002
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General membership in the Ontario Herbalists Association is open to any herbal enthusiast, and does not imply any fitness to practise herbal medicine. The OHA only supports those members who have met or exceeded the requirements for professional membership, who have been approved, and whose membership is in good standing.