HB 24-1171

House Bill 24-1171, also known as the Naturopathic Doctor Formulary bill, expands the types of medications that naturopathic doctors in Colorado can prescribe and dispense. It requires these doctors to complete additional pharmacology training and pass a specific exam before they can include certain drugs on their formulary or prescribe them to patients. The bill also restricts naturopathic doctors from prescribing certain controlled substances, like ketamine, without special approval, and from prescribing any medications to minors under 18 years old unless recommended by an advisory committee. Since the bill has been signed into law, it is now enforceable in Colorado starting with specified deadlines for training and exams.

Official Summary

The bill clarifies that the naturopathic doctor formulary (formulary) may include prescription classes of medicines and adds certain medicines to the formulary, including all legend drugs and, for a naturopathic doctor with a federal drug enforcement administration registration, all drugs listed on schedules III through V under the "Uniform Controlled Substances Act of 2013", except for benzodiazepines, opioids, and opioid derivatives . Before obtaining, dispensing, administering, injecting, ordering, or prescribing any of the medicines or devices on the formulary, a naturopathic doctor who is currently registered with the department of regulatory agencies must show proof of completion of 10 hours of pharmacological continuing education pertinent to or reflective of the naturopathic formulary. The bill prohibits a naturopathic doctor from prescribing any medicine or device to an individual under 18 years of age, or ketamine to an individual of any age, unless recommended by the naturopathic doctor advisory committee and approved by the director. Beginning September 1, 2024, the bill requires an individual applying for registration as a naturopathic doctor to pass a pharmacology examination administered by the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners or a nationally recognized, director-approved successor entity. For the renewal of a naturopathic doctor registration on or after June 1, 2025, the bill requires a naturopathic doctor to complete 12 hours per year of education in pharmacology. (Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.) (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

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