After the deadly cancer therapies Naturopathic Association against new version of the Heilpraktikergesetzes

The alternative practitioner in focus
The message about the death of several patients, which is said to have caused a naturopath, has hit the Heilpraktikerverabnd Union of German Naturopaths Association, very concerned. "In fact, to grasp the pain of those affected, almost impossible, when a difficult road to seek relief and healing ends - and our first priority is our affection - we express our sincere and sincere condolences to all the bereaved and wish them all the best for the time of farewell and mourning, "said the association's board.

After the deaths in a naturopathic cancer clinic in Brüggen-Bracht, the discussion about the activities of health practitioners at all levels has flared up, although the investigations of the prosecutor Krefeld and the responsible police Mönchengladbach are not yet completed.

New version of the Naturopathic Act required. Image: Sonja Birkelbach - fotolia

The deaths in practice are highly tragic for those affected and their relatives. The worst thing that can happen is without question, if a patient is harmed or even killed by the omission of necessary measures or wrong measures. The suspicion that the use of 3-bromopyruvate is responsible for the deaths is checked by the competent authorities.

The statements and coverage of this case as well as our profession are neither neutral nor objective. Press releases, which now question the entire field of activity of non-medical practitioners, refer to lack of training and lax handling of examinations and laws, put the whole job in a bad light. Even some politicians feel called to insist on a reform or even re-interpretation of the law on alternative practitioners. It is also to say that the mixing with other health professionals ("healer") is completely wrong! Here should be clearly and objectively talked about the meaning and nonsense of such demands.

The non-medical practitioner does not live in a legal vacuum - many laws and regulations affect the job description and the activity, such as the Heilpraktikergesetz, the Infection Protection Act (IfsG), the Medicinal Products Act, the Patient Rights Ordinance and the Therapeutic Use Advertising Act and much more. The duties of the alternative practitioner include u.a. of course, the duty of care, the obligation to educate and the documentation. Furthermore, there is a need for further training, etc.

Not everyone is allowed to call themselves non-medical practitioner, the public usually does not know that it is a "verified profession". For the review it is clear which knowledge in anatomy, physiology, disease theory, differential diagnosis and more you have to bring. The Heilpraktikerkenntnissüberprüfung is a prerequisite for the professional admission. Considering that up to 70% of aspirants fail in the first attempt, one should rid themselves of the idea that this exam is easy and requires a bit of skill.

But what are we talking about here? We are talking about disregard of laws, the exceeding of limits by a single person who, without question, as can be seen on the website, the concern is to provide tumor patients and critically ill people as a specialist.

If the allegations and conjectures against the alternative practitioner prove to be correct, this must be judged with all consistency and severity, because this would be a clear violation of the professional code and professional ethics of the alternative practitioner, with his conscience and his person with the utmost care indispensable The welfare and salvation of the patient must be subjugated.

It would be fundamentally wrong to transfer the misconduct of a single alternative practitioner to the entire profession, as it did not happen to doctors, nurses or geriatric nurses in the past. Healing is always a very complex topic and unfortunately there are black sheep in every profession that deals with the cure of illnesses.

It is very important at the moment to wait for the results of the prosecution, then to punish the violations of the individual and not to discredit a whole profession that is respected and desired by the population.

Here the most important thing is the factual discussion in the interest of the patients. Also, the occasional Swiss model of naturopaths 1: 1 to transfer to the naturopath, has quite significant weaknesses, since the Swiss naturopaths were at no time equipped with the freedom of therapy of the alternative practitioner.

Exactly this freedom of therapy has made the naturopath to what he is, namely a contact person trusted by the millions of patients who consult him regularly and for whom he is an integral part of the health care system. The non-medical practitioner is already restricted by treatment bans (see, for example, IfsG) as well as by the exclusion of prescription medicines and narcotics and other measures. To portray him as a physician is therefore not entirely correct.

The professional associations provide the non-medical practitioners with high quality education and training. The current legal situation is clear and the individually active non-medical practitioner knows and respects his limits and works on his own responsibility for the benefit of the patient. Therefore, we see no need to replace the existing Naturopaths Act by a new one.