What is the Difference Between Seeing a Physician, a Naturopath, or a Naturopathic Doctor for BHRT?

When it comes to Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT), I want to highlight some of the differences between getting your care from a Naturopath, a Naturopathic Doctor, or a Medical Doctor.

Here at Pagdin Health, we have two providers focusing on bio-identical hormone replacement: myself and my Naturopathic Doctor, Dr. Tina Garrison. We work together to provide a comprehensive plan for your bio-identical hormone replacement.

A medical provider that calls themselves a Naturopath has some basic medical training, but they don’t typically have prescribing privileges, so they can recommend certain supplements, but they could not set you up with prescription hormones.

On the other hand, Naturopathic Doctor has additional training in hormones and Pharmacology so that they can apply for a license to write some essential hormone prescriptions. Not all hormones, however. There are still certain things that are restricted from prescribing by Naturopathic Doctors, and these would include things like testosterone, DHEA, and growth hormone. These may turn out to be essential parts of your hormone program, so you want to ensure that the service you choose can provide a comprehensive evaluation and prescriptions to cover all the hormones.

Dr. Garrison and I work collaboratively in our office here at Pagdin Health. I supervise the care and will write the prescriptions for any additional restricted substances that might be important for your overall treatment plan. In addition, I can supervise the lab requisitions, and there are specific tests that I can order through MSP (Medical Services Plan) and have your provincial healthcare cover those tests. For most Naturopaths and Naturopathic Doctors, you will end up paying for them privately when they order blood tests. Remember that there are still specific tests that MSP does not want to cover, regardless of who orders them. So, when I order a test for estrogen for men, they must pay for it privately. If I order a testosterone test for women, they must pay for it privately. So not all your tests will be covered, but typically, we will present you with two lab requisitions, one for the tests covered by your MSP and one for the things you may have to pay for privately.

Whether your care is looked after by me or by Dr. Garrison, you can be guaranteed to have comprehensive care looking at all your hormone requirements.

For more information visit Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) or call our office at 250-717-3200.