Patient perceptions in New Mexico about doctors of chiropractic functioning as primary care providers with limited prescriptive authority

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine chiropractic patients' perceptions of chiropractors serving as primary care providers and having a limited prescriptive authority. Methods: Four doctors of chiropractic in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, NM, participated in surveying their patients during the summer of 2008. The chiropractors distributed the questionnaires consecutively to chiropractic patients. Patients answered questions regarding their perceptions of their chiropractors, use of chiropractic care, and medications for pain. The participating chiropractors collected the completed patient questionnaires and mailed them to the primary investigator. Results: The chiropractic providers collected 275 chiropractic patient questionnaires. The number of patient questionnaires collected by each of the 4 participating chiropractors ranged from 35 to 100. The patients primarily sought care for the management and treatment of pain (98.5%), and 57.5% considered that their chiropractors were "primary care providers." Eightyfive percent preferred that their chiropractor be qualified to prescribe medications and provide hands-on treatment, whereas 97.5% perceived their chiropractors to be chiropractic physicians. Conclusions: This small group of chiropractic patients from 4 offices in New Mexico perceived that their doctors of chiropractic were physicians and primary care providers, and 85% preferred that their chiropractor treat patients with limited prescriptive authority when appropriately trained.

Chiropractors' attitudes toward drug prescription rights: a narrative review

“…the ability to write prescriptions for any and all medicines). As such, previous attempts at expanding the New Mexico chiropractic scope of practice to beyond a limited number of medications [ 36 , 54 ], appears to be contrary to the general attitude of many others in the profession.…”

“…In New Mexico, chiropractors have similarly made attempts at expanding their current formulary (to include additional prescription drugs, as well as drugs to be administered by injection), but without success in large part due to opposition from the ICA [ 54 ]. This push for expanded prescribing rights in New Mexico appears to be motivated by a desire to train advanced practice chiropractors to operate as ‘primary care physicians’, particularly in rural areas where there is a current shortage of general medical physicians [ 36 ].…”

Chiropractors¿ attitudes toward drug prescription rights: a narrative review

“…Commentary from a trade magazine [26][27][28][29] Not about chiropractors' attitudes toward prescribing rights in chiropractic [11,[30][31][32][33][34][35][36] Commentary from a peer-reviewed publication [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] Letter to the Editor [12][13][14] Not published in a peer-reviewed journal [2,37,38] Langworthy [24] found that 36% and 28% of respondents, respectively, were in support of chiropractors prescribing medications on a restricted basis (e.g. mild analgesics, NSAIDs, and muscle relaxants).…”

Attitudes toward drug prescription rights: a survey of Ontario chiropractors

“…In New Mexico, USA, for example, chiropractors can gain licensure to prescribe from a limited formulary of musculoskeletal medications [ 2 ]. However, chiropractors in this state have also made recent attempts to expand their current formulary to include additional prescription drugs as well as drugs to be administered by injection [ 11 ] in order for chiropractors to operate as ‘primary care physicians’ [ 12 ]. Concerning the issue of full prescribing rights however, evidence from the literature suggests that chiropractors are generally opposed [ 5 , 6 , 8 ].…”