Properly trained primary care nutritional physicians are desperately needed in Florida.” On September 18, 2017, 37 state attorney generals, including Pamela Jo Bondi of Florida, signed a letter stating more alternative health avenues are needed to combat the medical crisis in our country related to the opioid crisis and pain control. Florida is no exception. We all know prevention and alternative choices to health care are as important as palliative care and benefit our citizens.
The last thing anyone wants to do is to go to a doctor. But what if Floridians had the choice of being treated by a doctor who had the knowledge and capability of complete natural treatments beyond normal palliative care? We would see the health of Floridians improve while receiving additional health benefits at an affordable cost.
Vitamin C is vitamin C no matter how you see it, but the patient's outcome may depend on type of administration of vitamin C therapy. As we all know, a patient with gut absorption problems or food allergies may not be able to absorb the required amount of nutritional substances prescribed for their condition and in such a case will not receive the full benefits of the treatment and will suffer needlessly. In the case of gut absorption problems IV administration can correct the absorption deficit and help the patient get the desired results. Either way, it is still only nutrient therapy and not drug therapy, as the law states it is today.
The Florida Chiropractic Physician Association (FCPA) is dedicated to the complete health needs of all patients, not only in Florida but for all patients who would benefit from advanced nutritional care. The FCPA is working hard to get the legal authority in Florida to treat our patients using complete nutrition in addition to physical medicine. Remember what was stated by state attorney generals, including Pamela Jo Bondi of Florida, “Properly trained primary care nutritional physicians are desperately needed in Florida.”
Recently the FCPA performed a survey asking DCs if they are ready to help more patients with more conditions via expanded nutritional rights and the response was overwhelmingly positive that our profession is ready for an advanced law allowing full nutritional rights. We all know the public needs these services desperately and the DC is the perfect outlet to provide such services.
The FCPA’s lobbying group is working hard in Tallahassee to help Floridians receive:
• Cost-efficient health care
• Low-cost alternative preventive-health solutions
• Highly effective health maintenance
• Non-legend drug solutions to health
Proper nutrition, as we all know, is the basis of good health. The Florida Chiropractic Physician Association is working to ensure that all patients in Florida have more choices: good, healthy, cost-effective nutritionaland physical-medicine therapy choices that would benefit from advanced therapeutic nutritional care.
During the next Florida legislative session the FCPA hopes to present an amendment that would allow patients to receive nutritional therapy in a chiropractic office as clinically needed without the needless restrictions the law requires now. If we go back to the past in Florida, you will see that the residents of Florida once had the ability to receive unrestricted nutrition therapy via a DC.
A Brief History of Florida Chiropractic Law and Nutrition Rights
Patients in Florida had the legal rights and privilege to receive unrestricted nutrition therapy until 1957, including vitamin injection and IV nutrients in a chiropractic office. In 1957, the word “oral” was put in front of the word nutrition in Chapter 460 law (Florida Chiropractic Law), restricting DCs to only oral nutrition.
In 1957, the federal government’s term “legend-drugs” did not exist, so sterile items such as water and vitamins were not considered drugs. Because of a federal labeling change any sterile substance is labeled today as a legend-drug even water, although we all know water is just water, even if it is sterile.
The Florida legislature removed the word “oral” from the law in 1986 to eliminate the oral restriction. By removing the word “oral” in the law, it clearly demonstrated the legislative intent was to revert the law as it was prior to 1957. It was clearly the legislative intent to allow DCs full nutritional rights again. In 1987, the State of Florida issued 350 “chiropractic drug” licenses to those who passed a required nutritional course (100 hours) and a state exam which was to allow those DCs the right to administer and prescribe nutritional substances again without oral restriction.
In 1990, the Florida Health Care Atlas published by the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services stated DCs “may administer proprietary drugs and injectable vitamins upon certification” because of the law change in 1987. Legislators thought it would bring the law back prior to 1957, but it did not because of the federal definition change classifying all sterile solutions to be labeled as a legend-drug.
The bottom line is that the intent from the legislation in the 1980s was clearly to give DCs the rights to injectable nutrition. The law change removing the word “oral” was to allow DCs to revert back to the law of 1957, but because the federal definition of a drug was replaced with the new term “legend-drugs,” the removal of the word “oral” did not complete the verbiage change needed to satisfy the legislative intent which was to allow DCs complete nutritional rights.
The FCPA is discussing and working toward presenting an amendment that would clarify that nutritional supplements, such as sterile water/ vitamins etc., are within the law for DCs to administer and possess. Such a nutritional amendment would have far-reaching, safe, positive, health effects affecting potentially millions of our fellow Floridians and patients across the United States at a cost comparison considered extremely low in today’s health arena. Remember, “vitamin C is vitamin C,” no matter how you see it, but the way it is administered can make a huge difference in the therapy’s efficacy and the patient’s desired results.
Roderic A. Lacy, MD., DC, "75" Palmer grad, "97" UNIREMHOS Medical School grad, CEO-Florida Chiropractic Physician Association (FCPA), License Gen Medicine, on staffDario Contreras Neuro/Ortho Hospital, authored many articles related to the need to advance chiropractic laws, practiced chiropractic/ medicine for 44 years.
