Tell the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners to Stop Harassing Integrative Physicians!

The LSBME has demonstrated a clear bias against the CAM and integrative physicians. In one recent case, it targeted a minor record-keeping violation and assigned penalties far beyond what such small infractions usually incur and tried to suspend the doctor even when a court had ruled that the violations didn’t occur!

Now the LSMBE is reportedly calling compounding pharmacists to find out which physicians are prescribing bioidentical hormones like estriol. And the board is using consent decrees to trap doctors into implying that integrative treatments are outside the conventional standard of care.

Part of the problem is that the Louisiana statute for CAM practitioners is contradictory and weak, making it ripe for abuse. Practitioners can be sanctioned for using a CAM therapy or diagnostic procedure—irrespective of the lack of patient harm or the positive outcome of the therapy—simply because the therapy or diagnostic procedure is not accepted by conventional medicine as the standard of care.

Tell LSMBE that Louisiana regulations are supposed to provide integrative physicians latitude—and LSMBE should comply with the law.

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Louisiana State Medical Board Examiners (LSMBE)

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Dear [Decision Maker],

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I was excited to learn that the LSBME has an Integrative and Complementary Medicine Committee. I saw your website with all the committee members listed. But I was distressed to learn that the board has never bothered to convene this group or provide them with any funding!

I understand that that the Louisiana statute for Complementary and Alternative Medical (CAM) practitioners is intended to provide physicians practice latitude, as evidenced by the statement that "The use of integrative or complementary medicine for the diagnosis or treatment of any illness, disease or condition, constitutes legitimate medical therapy." But CAM practitioners are protected only if they adhere to the standard of care applicable to conventional medicine practitioners, when integrative medical care often far exceeds that standard! The law provides a basis for sanctioning a practitioner for using a CAM therapy or diagnostic procedure -- even if no patients were harmed or if the therapy was a success -- simply because the therapy or diagnostic procedure is not accepted by conventional medicine as the standard of care.

Louisiana regulations are supposed to provide integrative physicians latitude -- and LSMBE should comply with the law. Board members should not allow personal biases against integrative medicine to influence their oversight.

Please make your Integrative and Complementary Medicine Committee is funded and meets regularly -- and then listen to your committee's recommendations!

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
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Protecting Natural Health