September 1, 2001 -- The course outline reads like a medical refresher program: Toxicology, Pharmacotherapy, Botanical Medicine; Blood, Urine, Saliva, Functional Medicine Testing and Interpretation; Physical Examination and Diagnosis; Injectable Nutrients and IV Parenteral Therapy.

Yet, this is the tentative course outline of a seminar being presented by the Florida Chiropractic Physicians Association (FCPA). The group is gearing up in anticipation of a possible move by the Florida Board of Chiropractic Medicine to expand the chiropractic scope of practice to include injectable nutrients.

At the request of Florida doctors, the World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA) issued a strong objection to the proposal, citing reasons why the move would jeopardize both the profession and the public.

"Such an action is unconscionable," stated Terry A. Rondberg, D.C., president of the WCA. "It completely contradicts the very definition of chiropractic and puts patients at risk. Injectable nutrients are drugs, and no reasonable D.C. can think that injecting people with drugs is part of chiropractic, or can safely be taught in a few weekend classes."

The FCPA is the only organization to support the action, which argues that "with complete nutrition the doctor can complement the adjustment by correcting the biochemical synaptic imbalances of the vertebral subluxation, in addition to the biomechanical component through adjusting, and achieve the desired results faster and more readily."

To promote the proposal, the FCPA sent 1,850 e-mail messages to doctors throughout the state, stating that "The FCPA is focused on expanding your scope of practice," and giving information on its Fall Symposium, which also covers sessions on gynecology, internal medicine, pain management, herbal protocols, candida, and homeopathy.

In response to its e-mail campaign, the FCPA noted that it received six negative responses and "many many" positive ones. Yet, two out of the five letters posted on the FCPA website opposed the idea of expanding the scope, with both chastising the organization for supporting the action.

One doctor noted, "You are not practicing chiropractic; you are practicing non-allopathic disease treatment. Please quit trying to change the chiropractic principle and instead embrace the power of education and the adjustment. You are not doing the healing."

A letter from Bruce Haberman, D.C.M., supported the expansion of the scope, stating that "Those that follow the purist 'Straight' philosophy, always referring to everything that they do as 'Life' ...wear blinders, creating a tunnel vision that only confuses and intimidates the general public." He went on to complain that "These same chiropractors that call themselves 'Straights' tend to stoop down and devalue the chiropractic treatment at reduced prices, and, in fact, will often treat the remainder of the family at half price or even for free."

The FCPA strongly supports a differentiation between chiropractors and "chiropractic physicians," complaining that "A small percentage of chiropractors continue to promote a self limiting, innate based philosophy, when we should be practicing primary care with sub specialties."

Recently, the FCPA has begun to target neighboring Alabama as a potential ally. "The Alabama State law is very good and we feel Alabama has the ability to include injectable nutrients in their scope of practice," the organization states in the website newsletter.

The WCA continues to support chiropractic as a drug-free health care discipline dedicated to detecting and correcting the vertebral subluxation.