The Co - Regulation Model

Co-Regulation - the Association and Accreditation Goals:

1. Complementary Alternative Medicine and Naturopathy specifically, are experts in promoting and supporting "complete physical, mental and social well-being".

2. Seeking 'Recognition & Representation' and support for *Accredited Practitioners.

3. Securing high Education Standards by means of *Accreditation
   

4. Quality Education Standard Safeguards are: Meeting Accreditation Requirements - ongoing training - insurance.

5. Supports streamlining Education... and "dictate" which courses and education facilities are accepted by the Association's Standards and Accreditation.
   Any courses outside of standards, would be classed as NOT accredited, and seen as 'general interest courses' only.
   To study a Prime Treatment Model, such as Naturopathy, a number of 'elective sub-modalities' will need to be studied as well.
   Sub-Modalities have an important role to play, specifically in "Active Prevention - Recuperation or Treatment Goals".

6. Supporting all Natural Therapy modalities, and assures that no fragmentation of holistic principles occurs.
   

7. Self-police to assure the standards of the Codes of Ethics & Conduct, and Scope of Practice.
   (Practitioners will fall under the Code of Ethics for "unregistered practitioners".)
   

Co-Regulation - the Government - National Codes

Regulation for Practitioner Only Products (POPs)

Associations to establish a policy, that only accredited Naturopaths or other "Primary" modality practitioners are permitted to buy and prescribe "Practitioner Only Products".

Associations to create a provider number system.

1. A "provider number" needs to be listed by a practitioner on their Patient's prescription for POP's "Practitioner Only Products".

2. Any products sold without a provider number reference should be investigated, and the supplier of the products, should be first cautioned, and on reoccurrence the supplier should not be allowed to sell "Practitioner Only Products".

Government's "Code of Ethics - Code of Conduct - Scope of Practice"

Government's "Code of Ethics need to be strictly adhered to.

Associations to strengthen the code to ward off possible complains.

Most complaints are directed about "treatment claims" - "wrong diagnosis", and "selling supplements for profit".

Additional Code suggestions:

1. Accredited Natural Therapy practitioners DO NOT TREAT A DISEASE - THEY TREAT THE INDIVDUAL, and they do not claim to heal or make therapeutic claims. - Instead, they support a body in its inert capability to heal itself.
   

2. Accredited Natural Therapy practitioners DO NOT DIAGNOSE for the purpose of "Naming a Disease".

3. Accredited Natural Therapy practitioners DO NOT sell supplements for the purpose of making a profit.
   Instead, supplements, and other therapeutic agents are subscribed on the basis of patient's needs.
   Reasoning behind the prescription for specific supplements are made accountable on a patient's file.
   Practitioners' provider number to be listed on each prescription.

* Code of Ethics/Conduct - Naturopathic Code of Conduct

A wide range of health professions are not regulated under the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS).

At his point of time any unregistered Modality or Profession is "regulated" by the Code of Conduct for Unregistered Health Practitioners.

See information or Codes:

http://www.hcscc.sa.gov.au/frequently-asked-questions/

http://www.hcscc.sa.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/h_Plain-English-Version-Code-of-Conduct.pdf

http://www.hcscc.sa.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Code-of-Coduct-for-Unregistered-Health-Practititioners-easier-to-read-version.pdf

https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/phact/Documents/coc-unregistered-practitioners.pdf

Policing "Self-Regulation"

The Complementary Health System, needs its own surveillance and policing system. - We need to clean up our own act.

"Police" our own industry against violation of guidelines and scope of practice - including supplement marketing.

Practitioners and their web-sites that comply to the regulation will get a "Certificate of Ethical Practice".

NOTE*: Self Regulation in above sense stands for "voluntarily" adopting suggested Codes.

Co-Regulation Goals

1. Standardization of Education by means of "Accreditation" guidelines.
   Association and Accreditation standards will dictate the college curriculum ..

2. A uniform code of ethics and scope of practice for all association and practitioners.

3. A "new" single government neutral regulatory body to monitor the industry and provide legislative backing to enable the Associations concepts and arrangements to be enforced. 

4. Associations to have a dedicated "spokes person" to communicate for the benefit of Natural Therapies and instill confidence from the public.

5. All Associations, to accept the same ethics and education standards.

Compiled by: Dieter Lüske N.D.-D.C.H.-D.M.H.-D.H