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AUSTRALIAN NATURAL THERAPISTS ASSOCIATION
minister] has been informed that additional
evidence has come to light since 2014–15,”
Olds says. “The updated review will enable
formal consideration of this fresh evidence.”
At this point, there’s no information as
to what the “new evidence” is, Olds says.
“But it appears there may be some hope of
restoring some of the 16 therapies at least.
It’s basically a review of the review.
“ANTA has requested we be included in
this latest review to continue representation
of our members’ interests in this process as
we did on the original committee in 2013–- We await a response to that expression
of interest and will keep our members
informed of any progress.”
While strong evidence for the efficacy
of natural therapies exists, Olds believes
promoting stronger ties between training
institutions, professional associations and
industry is key to proving and documenting
it. “There’s an emerging structure for
research in natural medicines in Australia
similar to that of mainstream medicine and
like other fields of research which can be
clearly defined,” he says.
One academic trying to address the gaps
in research is Dr John Wardle, associate
professor in public health at the University
of Technology Sydney. According to Olds, Dr
Wardle has contributed to the establishment
of a research department at the Endeavour
College of Natural Health where natural
therapists can gain access to research
facilities and engage in an Honours program
followed by complementary and alternative
health-related research projects. Dr Wardle
has been named by the health minister as
one of the people to sit on the upcoming
review committee.
“If you look at the four criteria, we believe
the industry already meets those criteria:
the clinical efficacy, the cost effectiveness
the safety and the quality,” Olds says.
Despite the scare tactics around natural
therapies, iatrogenic injuries and illness
caused by the complementary medicine
industry accounts for less than 1 per cent
of the total across Australia, he says.What to do if you’re a therapist
aff ected by the change
Naturopaths and other practitioners
affected by the new rules can still maintain
and attract clients by continuing to offer
a quality service. Stay confident in what
you have to offer within the value of
complementary, natural and preventative
therapies to today’s consumer. In other
words, it’s business as usual.
“ANTA practitioners should continue
to deliver their services with the sameprofessionalism and care they are known
for,” Olds explains. “The initial impact
of losing rebates will be a psychological
barrier to some people, but quality service
usually solves a problem for the client
and that is the standard ANTA members
achieve consistently.”
The current professional entry standard
for a naturopath in Australia is a four-
year undergraduate degree. “A four-year
degree is nothing to be sneezed at,” he
adds. “It costs about $80,000 and takes at
least four years of a student’s time if they
study fulltime. It can take a lot longer —
up to eight years if they do it part-time.
It’s a substantial slice of a student and
practitioner’s life and a substantial part
of their income to repay.”
ANTA promotes lifelong learning,
continuously improving professional
standing, staying abreast of new
developments or regulations in the industry
and updating qualifications to maintain
professional relevance in the field.
Olds says there’s been a lot of
speculation about whether naturopaths,
who are generally multi-modality
practitioners, can offer rebates under
nutrition, one of the therapies unaffected
by the change. “The anomaly there is that
the naturopath has basically completed100 | wellbeing.com.au