Naturopathic Doctors (ND’s) have been licensed primary care physicians in BC since 1936. Scope of practice was expanded in 2009 to include authority to prescribe medications and order labs and imaging and as a primary care provider, no referral is necessary from a MD to establish care. Most extended health plans can be direct-billed to cover Naturopathic Medicine.

Naturopaths require 8 years of post secondary training consisting of an undergraduate degree followed by a 4 year accredited Naturopathic medical training similar to Medical Doctors. In addition to being trained to diagnose and prescribe conventional therapies, Naturopaths are also experts at identifying and treating the cause of your disease and doing so using non-drug approaches that include but not limited to diet, exercise, vitamin and herbal medicine, and injection therapies.

A Naturopath will look at your whole health picture (not just 1 problem at a time), and educate you on how to work with the body’s natural ability to heal itself in the least harmful way possible. ND’s will identify problem areas in waiting and emphasize prevention.