Committee debates new pathways for naturopathic doctors to prescribe independently

The Senate Workforce Development Committee heard Senate Bill 2041, which would add two alternate pathways for naturopathic doctors to qualify for independent prescribing endorsements in North Dakota.

“After that bill passed, the board… came up with two additional pathways to be used in lieu of the exam,” Sandra DuPentes, executive director of the North Dakota Board of Medicine, told the committee. Under current law enacted in 2023 (Senate Bill 2221), naturopaths seeking full prescribing endorsements must first hold a limited endorsement and practice under the supervision of a licensed North Dakota physician for 12 months or until they reach 100 prescriptions, and then pass a pharmacology portion of the NPLEX exam. SB 2041 would keep that initial supervised step in place but allow applicants to instead demonstrate competency by either completing 12 months of an accredited residency or showing three years of prescribing experience in another jurisdiction without disciplinary action.

DuPentes described how the Board plans to verify out‑of‑state experience: physician attestations and employment‑verification records from facilities (credentialing or HR) would be used to confirm dates and personnel records, and…