The Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation has issued the following response to the dangerous chiropractic drug bill in New Mexico.  Click Here to Read More & Find Out What You Can Do To Help

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TO: New Mexico Public Affairs Committee

RE: SB 471 Chiropractic Physician Drug Prescriptions

Dear Committee Members,

Our Board and Advisors are made up of chiropractic college trustee members, Presidents, faculty, current and past state regulatory board members, researchers, legal experts and practitioners. We are asking for your support in defeating SB 471 that would allow chiropractors in New Mexico to prescribe drugs, including controlled substances and potentially perform surgical procedures.

Having inadequately trained chiropractors prescribing drugs, including controlled substances, and performing surgery without extensive practical training, as required of medical (MD) and osteopathic (DO) physicians poses a hazard to public health, and is not in the best interests of the people of New Mexico.

Clinical training in chiropractic schools properly focuses on manual techniques, including examination and adjusting procedures.  Chiropractic students do not prescribe drugs in school clinics. Chiropractic students have very limited opportunities for hospital training and most chiropractic colleges do not offer such training.  When offered, participation is limited. Further, no chiropractic college provides practical, in-hospital training on how to handle life threatening drug reactions.

One does not qualify to practice medicine solely through classroom instruction. A Nurse Practitioner candidate is already an experienced RN and in addition to that, classroom training typically comprising over 800 hours of clinical rotations are required for the NP. For an MD or DO, the last 2 years of medical school emphasize clinical rotations, followed by a minimum of 3 years of residency training, which may involve 80 hour work weeks. The public is not served by allowing chiropractors, or other practitioners, to bypass this process. Hotel seminars and experience in private chiropractic practice is not comparable to hospital rotations in accredited teaching hospitals for those wishing to practice medicine and can never be considered Best Practices.

Again we are asking you to DEFEAT SB 471 that would allow chiropractors in New Mexico to prescribe drugs including controlled substances and potentially perform surgical procedures.