This may affect only Ontario at the moment, but Bill 139, which has undergone two readings and is poised for a third, looks as though it’s poised to pass. This bill would allow naturopaths the ability to prescribe drugs in much the same way that science-based health practitioners do presently.

[t]he Ontario government is poised to give another type of magician — the naturopath — prescribing rights, despite the reams of evidence discrediting their approach to patient health. It’s a move that legitimizes a well-meaning but baseless profession, and puts patients at significant risk.

Surely I much be exaggerating, right? After all, naturopaths practice “natural healing”, and nature is good, isn’t it? Unfortunately for patients, no evidence exists to suggest that naturopaths are capable primary care providers. Naturopathy is a fundamentally flawed idea – and a government blessing only entrenches and magnifies the health risks to Canadians.

This is a travesty. I know some folks believe naturopathy has some value — of course natural products have some effects, since almost all the medicine we’ve found thus far, are derived from such natural products and the scientific testing necessary to determine what exactly effects such products have. But you know what you call alternative medicine that works? You call it… medicine.

The above link has a list of ways you can combat this encroachment of magic into the realm of scientifically derived medical knowledge. If you’re a Canuck, please, at least take time to drop a quick e-mail to the contacts listed — especially if you live in Ontario.