2010 Tennessee Code
Title 63 - Professions Of The Healing Arts
Chapter 6 - Medicine and Surgery
Part 2 - General Provisions
63-6-205 - Practice of naturopathy. [Amended effective June 30, 2012. See the Compiler’s Notes.]

63-6-205. Practice of naturopathy. [Amended effective June 30, 2012. See the CompilerÂ’s Notes.]

(a)  It is unlawful for any person to practice naturopathy in this state.

(b)  “Naturopathy” means nature cure or health by natural methods and is defined as the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of human injuries, ailments and disease by the use of such physical forces, as air, light, water, vibration, heat, electricity, hydrotherapy, psychotherapy, dietetics or massage, and the administration of botanical and biological drugs. (c)  [Effective until June 30, 2012. See the Compiler's Notes.]

(1)  In no event shall naturopathy mean the sale of herbs or natural health information exchanges provided as a service so long as:

          (A)  The sale or provision of information exchanges is not conducted for the purpose of the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of any physical ailment or physical injury to or deformity of another; and

          (B)  In any instance involving natural health information exchanges, the seller obtains a signed acknowledgement from the buyer that the seller is neither a licensed practitioner of the healing arts in this state, nor meets the recognized qualification criteria that would allow the provision of any form of diagnosis, treatment recommendation or medical care in this state. For the purposes of meeting the requirements of this section, the seller shall keep the signed acknowledgement from the buyer on file for a period of three (3) years.

     (2)  This subsection (c) shall be repealed at midnight, June 30, 2012.

(d)  A violation of this section is a Class B misdemeanor.

(e)  This section does not apply to persons who comply with the regulatory laws of the state with respect to the practice of the various healing arts.

[Acts 1947, ch. 2, §§ 1, 2; mod. C. Supp. 1950, § 6940.1 (Williams, § 7025.4); T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 63-609; Acts 1989, ch. 591, § 112; 2009, ch. 416, § 1.]