Chiros as prescribers of medicines?

Chiropractors are often proud of offering drugless treatments to their patients. Many even have an outright aversion against drugs which goes back to their founding father, DD Palmer, who disapproved of pharmaceuticals. On this background it seems surprising that, today, some chiropractors lobby hard to get prescription rights.

A recent article explains:

A legislative proposal that would allow Wisconsin chiropractors to prescribe narcotics has divided those in the profession and pitted those of them who support the idea against medical doctors. At a hearing on the bill Tuesday, representatives form the Wisconsin Chiropractic Association said back pain is a common reason people go see a medical doctor, but they argue that chiropractors with additional training could be helping those patients instead. Under the bill, chiropractors would be able to write prescriptions for painkillers and administer anesthesia under the direction of a physician.

Expanding the scope of practice, the WCA said, would give patients with pain faster relief when primary care physicians are busy. The Wisconsin Medical Society, though, has come out against the proposal. “This expands to something not seen anywhere else in the country,” said Don Dexter, chief medical officer for WMS.

Meanwhile, another chiropractic group, the Chiropractic Society of Wisconsin, is also skeptical. “We contend there is no public need or demand … to allow chiropractors to prescribe drugs,”  said Dean Shepherd, the group’s president.

Opponents also pointed out that the changes could increase access to opioids at a time the state is trying to reduce abuse. “As you know, based on legislation passed in the last two sessions, we’re already dealing with an epidemic of opioid overuse,” Dexter said. “We don’t need new providers prescribing those medications.”

However, some practicing chiropractors like Jason Mackey, with Leutke Storm Mackey Chiropractic in Madison, argue that medical fields evolve: “We have always had change throughout the course of our professsion.” Mackey said there has been pushback with previous changes, like using X-ray or certain therapies and recommending vitamins.

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On this blog, we discussed the issue of chiropractic prescribing before. At the time, I argued against such a move and gave the following reasons:

• Patients might be put at risk by chiropractors who are less than competent in prescribing medicines.
• More unnecessary NAISDs would be prescribed.
• The vast majority of the drugs in question is already available OTC.
• Healthcare costs would increase.
• Prescribing rights would give more legitimacy to a profession that arguably does not deserve it.
• Chiropractors would then continue their lobby work and soon demand the prescription rights to be extended to other classes of drugs.

Considering the chiropractors’ arguments for prescribing rights stated in the above article, I see little reason to change my mind.