We are excited to announce that House Bill 276 has been signed today by Governor John Kasich. While this bill has been commonly referred to as the Chiropractic Nutrition Bill because it helps define and protect our scope of practice in regards to nutritional supplements, it also allows Chiropractors in the state of Ohio to continue to recommend other natural substances such as herbals, minerals, and homeopathic remedies. Additionally, this new language allows Chiropractors the ability to give advice to patients in regards to non-prescription drugs, and defines our authority to administer durable and non-durable medical goods and devices.
Specifically, this revision states:
"A chiropractor may administer, sell, distribute, recommend or provide advice regarding any of the following to restore or maintain the health of the Chiropractor's patients: vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, antioxidants, enzymes, glandular extracts, botanical substances, herbal therapies, homeopathic remedies, drugs that are available without a prescription, or durable and non-durable medical goods and devices. The authority of a chiropractor to engage in these activities does not affect the authority of any other health care professional, including a dietician licensed under chapter 4759 of the Revised Code, to engage in any of the same activities."
The NOAC and our lobbyist team worked diligently with the bill's sponsor, Representative Schuring and Senator Uecker to ensure that the bill would pass. We look forward to building on this relationship in the future to continue to advance the Chiropractic profession together.
We would like to thank our lobbyists at Jeff DeLeone & Associates, specifically Matt Forney for working with key members of the Ohio legislature on this bill. Additional thanks to Kelly Caudill of our examining board for aiding us in clarifying questions that members of the House and Senate had in regards to the Ohio Revised Code and how our board interprets our scope of practice.
Thank you to former President David Miklos, who began this process, and former President George Berki, who spearheaded this project over the last two years. Additional gratitude is due to several other doctors who donated their time and efforts to pushing this bill to completion including Alan Palgut, Gary Estadt, and Keith Ungar.
This bill will benefit every Chiropractic physician and more importantly, our patients. This endeavor requires the support of the Chiropractic profession and we are asking that you contribute to the NOAC by becoming a member, associate member or by sending a contribution to the association. Your support will enable the NOAC to continue working for all DC's in the state of Ohio. You can support us by clicking on the "JOIN" button below, or by sending your contribution directly to our treasurer, Dr. David Miklos at PO Box 413, Vermilion, OH 44089.
In closing, it is an exciting time to be a member of the Chiropractic profession, especially in the State of Ohio. We look forward to continuing to work to protect and advance our scope of practice as we always have since our inception in 1969.
Regards,
Board of Directors, Northeast Ohio Academy of Chiropractic