CONNECTICUT NATUROPATHIC PHYSICIANS ASSOCIATION
Honoring Our History, Shaping Our Future
CNPA's Frequently Asked Questions
This page covers the state of licensure and scope of practice for naturopathic physicians in Connecticut. If our FAQs do not answer your question, please email us directly, or post your question in our private Facebook group!
Please note that you must have an active license to practice naturopathic medicine in order to view and post comments in the CNPA Facebook group.
Licensure and Continuing Education Requirements in CT
How do I become a licensed naturopathic doctor in Connecticut?
- See the naturopathic licensing requirements set forth by the CT Department of Health. This link allows you to view the general licensing policies, application forms, test dates, and study guide.
- ND licenses expire one year from the original issuance date each year. Renew each year electronically throught CT's eLicense program.
- CT naturopathic physicians must complete 15 hours of continuing education each year. For more information, see CT DPH's guidelines.
- NDs who move out of Connecticut and wish to maintain their CT licenses may do so, simply update your contact information with DPH. If your CT license lapses and you wish to reinstate it, you must apply for reinstatement and submit evidence documenting successful completion of fifteen contact hours of continuing education within the one-year period immediately preceding application for reinstatement.
- The National Provider Identifier (NPI) is a unique 10 digit code used to identify health care providers in standard transactions, such as health care claims. NPIs may also be used to identify health care providers on prescriptions or lab orders, in coordination of benefits between health plans, in patient medical record systems, and in other ways. It was created in response to the Administrative Simplification provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), which mandated the adoption of a standard unique identifier for health care providers.
- To apply for your NPI online, visit the National Plan & Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) Application website. They also have a helpful Application Instructions page. You will be asked for standard identifying information and will have to select your provider taxonomy (naturopath is specified after you select “other” in the initial menu). There is no fee to apply. Numbers are usually issued in 2-7 business days.
Scope and Practice of Naturopathic Medicine in CT
What modalities does the naturopathic scope of practice include?Are NDs allowed to practice telemedicine in CT?
- In short, ND scope includes manual therapies (physical medicine), natural oral agents such as vitamins, supplements, herbs, and homeopathy, nutrition and diatetics, and naturopathic counseling. NDs are also able to order diagnostic tests and perform venipuncture for lab testing purposes. For detailed information, see Chapter 373 of the General Statutes of Connecticut.
- Yes. NDs practicing with an active license in CT may counsel patients via telehealth provided they are communicating through real-time, interactive, two-way communication technology or store and forward technologies; have access to, or knowledge of, the patient's medical history, as provided by the patient, and the patient's health record, including the name and address of the patient's primary care provider, if any; conform to the standard of care applicable to the telehealth provider's profession and expected for in-person care as appropriate to the patient's age and presenting condition, except when the standard of care requires the use of diagnostic testing and performance of a physical examination, such testing or examination may be carried out through the use of peripheral devices appropriate to the patient's condition; and provide the patient with the telehealth's provider license number and contact information. For more information, please see Chapter 368 of CT General Statues.
Can NDs prescribe pharmacologic agents?
- No. Currently, naturopathic scope of practice does not include prescriptive authority. If prescriptive rights are important to you, please consider joining our legislative effort with your advocacy and your generous donations.
Can NDs perform acupuncture?
- Yes, acupuncture is within the scope of naturopathic practice in Connecticut. Students are taught clean needle technique as a part of their CNME-accredited training. However, a practitioner may not advertise themselves as "an acupuncturist" unless they have obtained a license to do so (LAc). It is recommended that their malpractice insurance knows that they use acupuncture as a modality.
Can NDs provide vaccine waivers?
- No, NDs do not currently administer vaccinations in CT and therefore cannot provide vaccination waivers.
Miscellaneous Questions
Can I call myself a "board-certified" physician?
- To register for a CAQH number, NDs are considered specialists, and therefore must check that they are "board certified" by "North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners."
- Technically speaking, however, NDs who have simply passed their licensing examinations are not board-certified by the conventional definition of the term. Outside of this very specific instance of CAQH registration, we do not encourage NDs to claim that they are "board certified" unless they have passed an examination administered by a specialty medicine board.