In Arizona, naturopathic doctors can legally prescribe any legend drug or controlled substance (except IV medications, chemo drugs, and antipsychotics). The only prescriptions I see from naturopaths are for phentermine and metformin. Usually for the same patient.
I guess the only disease that people go to naturopaths for is obesity. Well, not even that. The people who get prescriptions for phentermine from naturopaths are usually not obese. They are usually wealthy uppity women trying to fit into size 6 jeans that don’t care if their insurance doesn’t cover phentermine. They want it anyway.
This irks me. Phentermine isn’t particularly “natural.” Treating people with amphetamines and metformin seems a little out of naturopaths’ scope of practice. I wouldn’t care if people brought me prescriptions from their naturopath for St. John’s Wort, saw palmetto, or fish oil capsules (I even believe in the benefits of those natural products). Heck, it wouldn’t even bug me (that much) if they brought me prescriptions for digitalis, as it’s arguably more “natural” than phentermine.
But I do worry about the metformin, and stress the importance of laboratory monitoring of kidney function with my patients.
I know it’s legal. But there is a line between a conscientious naturopathic physician and a phentermine farm.
No comments:
Post a Comment