Our strategic priorities
The Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors (OAND) champions the success of Naturopathic Doctors and the health of Ontarians. We focus on:
- Advancing the profession’s interests for the health of Ontarians, through advocacy with government to maximize the use of registered Naturopathic Doctors’ knowledge, training and skills in the care of their patients, and through leading-edge continuing education for Naturopathic Doctors (NDs).
- Promoting the value of Naturopathic medicine to the general public, government, other health professions and stakeholders.
- Inspiring strong internal and external community and partnerships.
NDs are highly credentialed, highly respected, primary health care generalists and a key pillar in Ontario’s health care system. Our vision is that Ontarians choose Naturopathic Doctors as an integral part of their primary health care team.
Advancing the profession’s interests for the better health of Ontarians
Naturopathic medicine was regulated in Ontario under the Drugless Practitioner’s Act from 1925 to 2015. We are now under the umbrella of the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 that regulates other health professions, including physicians, dentists, pharmacists and nurses in Ontario. Our transition to self-regulation occurred with proclamation of the Naturopathy Act, 2007, on July 1, 2015. The College of Naturopaths of Ontario (CONO) now regulates the practice of Naturopathic medicine, in the same way that the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario regulates the practice of physicians in the province.
With the Naturopathy Act in place, NDs are now even better positioned to help relieve the pressure on other elements of the health care system in Ontario. Patients report that Naturopathic medicine helps them to be less reliant on expensive pharmaceuticals, make fewer unnecessary visits to emergency departments or walk-in clinics and improve their health by making better lifestyle and dietary choices. Additionally NDs help fill gaps in Ontario’s health care system in some remote communities where a ND is the only professional providing general primary health care. The fact that many Naturopathic Doctors provide house calls is an another benefit.
Continuing education is a regulatory requirement for registered NDs in the province of Ontario. The OAND is proud to sponsor leading-edge continuing education offering clinical insights based on recent research findings and long term clinical practice, in a variety of learning methods, from webinars to live in-person training. Annually the OAND sponsors a 3-day clinical convention that is respected throughout the North American Naturopathic community.
Promoting the value of naturopathic medicine to the general public
Naturopathic Doctors are passionate about the contribution they make to the health of Ontarians and are looking forward to expanding on the inter-professional collaboration with other regulated health professions.
Naturopathic Doctors treat the whole person as an individual, focusing on helping to find out the root cause of what’s wrong, and leveraging the body’s natural ability to heal in their treatment programs. One of the important focuses of Naturopathic medicine is the treatment and prevention of chronic disease, which affects 80% of Ontarians over 45 years of age, and accounts for over half of the direct and indirect costs of health care in the province.
Inspiring strong internal and external community and partnerships
The OAND community of NDs interacts with each other in several ways: through informal and formal networking, individually and through the regional networks established throughout the province, and through diverse in-person events. Our association and members are linked to the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors and work closely with the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, as well as the regulator – the College of Naturopaths of Ontario. Ongoing inter-professional collaboration with other regulated health care providers in a patient’s circle of care is typical.
