(1) The following acts constitute grounds for denial of a license or disciplinary action, as specified in s. 456.072(2):

(a) Attempting to obtain, obtaining, or renewing a license to practice naturopathic medicine by bribery, by fraudulent misrepresentation, or through an error of the department.

(b) Having a license to practice naturopathic medicine revoked, suspended, or otherwise acted against, including the denial of licensure, by the licensing authority of another state, territory, or country.

(c) Being convicted or found guilty, regardless of adjudication, of a crime in any jurisdiction which directly relates to the practice of naturopathic medicine or to the ability to practice naturopathic medicine. Any plea of nolo contendere shall be considered a conviction for purposes of this chapter.

(d) False, deceptive, or misleading advertising.

(e) Advertising, practicing, or attempting to practice under a name other than one’s own.

(f) Failing to report to the department any person who the licensee knows is in violation of this chapter or of the rules of the department. However, a person who the licensee knows is unable to practice naturopathic medicine with reasonable skill and safety to patients by reason of illness or use of alcohol, drugs, narcotics, chemicals, or any other type of material, or as a result of a mental or physical condition, may be reported to a consultant operating an impaired practitioner program as described in s. 456.076 rather than to the department.

(g) Aiding, assisting, procuring, or advising any unlicensed person to practice naturopathic medicine contrary to this chapter or to a rule of the department.

(h) Failing to perform any statutory or legal obligation placed upon a licensed naturopathic physician.

(i) Making or filing a report which the licensee knows to be false, intentionally or negligently failing to file a report or record required by state or federal law, willfully impeding or obstructing such filing or inducing another person to do so. Such reports or records shall include only those which are signed in the capacity as a licensed naturopathic physician.

(j) Paying or receiving any commission, bonus, kickback, or rebate, or engaging in any split-fee arrangement in any form whatsoever with a physician, organization, agency, or person, either directly or indirectly, for patients referred to providers of health care goods and services, including, but not limited to, hospitals, nursing homes, clinical laboratories, ambulatory surgical centers, or pharmacies. The provisions of this paragraph shall not be construed to prevent a naturopathic physician from receiving a fee for professional consultation services.

(k) Exercising influence within a patient-physician relationship for purposes of engaging a patient in sexual activity. A patient shall be presumed to be incapable of giving free, full, and informed consent to sexual activity with her or his physician.

(l) Making deceptive, untrue, or fraudulent representations in the practice of naturopathic medicine or employing a trick or scheme in the practice of naturopathic medicine when such scheme or trick fails to conform to the generally prevailing standards of treatment in the medical community.

(m) Soliciting patients, either personally or through an agent, through the use of fraud, intimidation, undue influence, or a form of overreaching or vexatious conduct. A “solicitation” is any communication which directly or implicitly requests an immediate oral response from the recipient.

(n) Failing to keep written medical records justifying the course of treatment of the patient, including, but not limited to, patient histories, examination results, test results, X rays, and records of the prescribing, dispensing and administering of drugs.

(o) Exercising influence on the patient or client in such a manner as to exploit the patient or client for the financial gain of the licensee or of a third party, which shall include, but not be limited to, the promoting or selling of services, goods, appliances, or drugs and the promoting or advertising on any prescription form of a community pharmacy unless the form also states “This prescription may be filled at any pharmacy of your choice.”

(p) Performing professional services which have not been duly authorized by the patient or client, or her or his legal representative, except as provided in s. 743.064, s. 766.103, or s. 768.13.

(q) Prescribing, dispensing, administering, mixing, or otherwise preparing a legend drug, including any controlled substance, other than in the course of the naturopathic physician’s professional practice. For the purposes of this paragraph, it shall be legally presumed that prescribing, dispensing, administering, mixing, or otherwise preparing legend drugs, including all controlled substances, inappropriately or in excessive or inappropriate quantities is not in the best interest of the patient and is not in the course of the naturopathic physician’s professional practice, without regard to her or his intent.

(r) Prescribing, dispensing, or administering any medicinal drug appearing on any schedule set forth in chapter 893 by the naturopathic physician to herself or himself, except one prescribed, dispensed, or administered to the naturopathic physician by another practitioner authorized to prescribe, dispense, or administer medicinal drugs.

(s) Being unable to practice naturopathic medicine with reasonable skill and safety to patients by reason of illness or use of alcohol, drugs, narcotics, chemicals, or any other type of material or as a result of any mental or physical condition. In enforcing this paragraph, the department shall have, upon probable cause, authority to compel a naturopathic physician to submit to a mental or physical examination by physicians designated by the department. The failure of a naturopathic physician to submit to such an examination when so directed shall constitute an admission of the allegations against her or him upon which a default and final order may be entered without the taking of testimony or presentation of evidence, unless the failure was due to circumstances beyond the naturopathic physician’s control. A naturopathic physician affected under this paragraph shall at reasonable intervals be afforded an opportunity to demonstrate that she or he can resume the competent practice of naturopathic medicine with reasonable skill and safety to patients. In any proceeding under this paragraph, neither the record of proceedings nor the orders entered by the department may be used against a naturopathic physician in any other proceeding.

(t) Gross or repeated malpractice or the failure to practice naturopathic medicine with that level of care, skill, and treatment which is recognized by a reasonably prudent similar physician as being acceptable under similar conditions and circumstances. The department shall give great weight to the provisions of s. 766.102 when enforcing this paragraph.

(u) Performing any procedure or prescribing any therapy which, by the prevailing standards of medical practice in the community, constitutes experimentation on a human subject, without first obtaining full, informed, and written consent.

(v) Practicing or offering to practice beyond the scope permitted by law or accepting and performing professional responsibilities which the licensee knows or has reason to know that she or he is not competent to perform.

(w) Delegating professional responsibilities to a person when the licensee delegating such responsibilities knows or has reason to know that such person is not qualified by training, experience, or licensure to perform them.

(x) Violating a lawful order of the department previously entered in a disciplinary hearing or failing to comply with a lawfully issued subpoena of the department.

(y) Conspiring with another licensee or with any other person to commit an act, or committing an act, which would tend to coerce, intimidate, or preclude another licensee from lawfully advertising her or his services.

(z) Procuring, or aiding or abetting in the procuring of, an unlawful termination of pregnancy.

(aa) Presigning blank prescription forms.

(bb) Prescribing by the naturopathic physician for office use any medicinal drug appearing on Schedule II in chapter 893.

(cc) Prescribing, ordering, dispensing, administering, supplying, selling, or giving any drug which is an amphetamine or sympathomimetic amine drug, or a compound designated pursuant to chapter 893 as a Schedule II controlled substance to or for any person except for:

1. The treatment of narcolepsy; hyperkinesis; behavioral syndrome in children characterized by the developmentally inappropriate symptoms of moderate to severe distractability, short attention span, hyperactivity, emotional lability, and impulsivity; or drug-induced brain dysfunction.

2. The differential diagnostic psychiatric evaluation of depression or the treatment of depression shown to be refractory to other therapeutic modalities.

3. The clinical investigation of the effects of such drugs or compounds when an investigative protocol therefor is submitted to, reviewed, and approved by the department before such investigation is begun.

(dd) Prescribing, ordering, dispensing, administering, supplying, selling, or giving growth hormones, testosterone or its analogs, human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), or other hormones for the purpose of muscle building or to enhance athletic performance. For the purposes of this subsection, the term “muscle building” does not include the treatment of injured muscle. A prescription written for the drug products listed above may be dispensed by the pharmacist with the presumption that the prescription is for legitimate medical use.

(ee) Violating any provision of this chapter or chapter 456, or any rules adopted pursuant thereto.

(2) The department may enter an order denying licensure or imposing any of the penalties in s. 456.072(2) against any applicant for licensure or licensee who is found guilty of violating any provision of subsection (1) of this section or who is found guilty of violating any provision of s. 456.072(1).

(3) The department shall not reinstate the license of a naturopathic physician until such time as the department is satisfied that such person has complied with all the terms and conditions set forth in the final order and that such person is capable of safely engaging in the practice of naturopathic medicine.

(4) The department shall by rule establish guidelines for the disposition of disciplinary cases involving specific types of violations. Such guidelines may include minimum and maximum fines, periods of supervision or probation, or conditions of probation or reissuance of a license.

History.—s. 16, ch. 12286, 1927; CGL 3484; s. 3, ch. 76-168; s. 166, ch. 77-104; s. 1, ch. 77-457; ss. 2, 3, ch. 78-139; s. 4, ch. 80-354; s. 2, ch. 81-318; s. 25, ch. 83-329; s. 4, ch. 85-6; ss. 6, 12, 13, ch. 85-303; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 226, ch. 97-103; s. 121, ch. 2000-153; s. 29, ch. 2001-277; s. 7, ch. 2005-240; s. 12, ch. 2017-41.