According to Dr. Brian Kelly, president of Life Chiropractic College West, the college "opposes in the strongest possible terms the inclusion of medicine and/or surgery in the chiropractic profession," referring to recent efforts in New Mexico to allow for an "advanced-practice chiropractic physician" designation.
He adds, "The practices proposed in the legislature in New Mexico are dangerous to the public as well as to the identity of the chiropractic profession. There is no mechanism to adequately train chiropractors in this area and give them the clinical experience to responsibly utilize the broad range of drugs available to a primary care physician. Furthermore, there are no national credentialing standards that apply to this area of clinical activity by chiropractors. In and of itself, these deficiencies pose a threat to the public of New Mexico."
Chiropractic training, while broad in its primary-contact training, does not have a focus on these practices, as they are reserved for the art and practice of other professional disciplines. "This is a misguided attempt to enter the practice of medicine," Dr. Kelly concluded.
Source: Life Chiropractic College West
