Legislation to overturn rule that would have allowed chiropractors to inject non-FDA approved drugs

Tuesday, March 05, 2013 01:46 PM

updated March 5, 2013

Legislation that will overturn the chiropractic board rule regarding injectables passed the out of committee and appropriations and is headed to the floor.

The Colorado Board of Chiropractic Examiners voted unanimously at a hearing on Jan. 24 to repeal Rule 7c “to comply with state law” and protect “public health, safety, and welfare.” The board voted to repeal the rule on an emergency basis, so it must be approved for permanent repeal during their March 21 board meeting, well in advance of its revised implementation date of April 30.

The chiropractic board passed changes to Rule 7(c) on Nov. 15, 2012, which would have authorized chiropractors to administer non-FDA approved compounds—including glandular extracts, enzymes, homeopathic and botanical medicines—topically, orally, and by inhalation and injection, after completing just 24 hours of study and a certification exam. CMS feared that improper injections could cause patients to suffer serious adverse outcomes and side effects.

In late December, CMS and 15 other medical associations filed a lawsuit to stop the rule, as it was originally scheduled to take effect Jan. 14. The chiropractic board took emergency action to delay its implementation until April to allow the legislature to weigh in. And in early January, the Colorado Legislature’s Committee on Legal Services voted 8-0 to ask lawmakers to repeal the rule later in the session. Feeling the pressure from lawmakers and the medical community, members of the chiropractic board took an emergency vote to repeal it.