REGULATIONS ON MEMBERS’ PROFESSIONAL ETHICS 

PURPOSE 
ASNFD’s professional ethics regulations define the duties and obligations of every member. They reflect high standards of professional ethics to provide a sound framework for the profession.

CHAPTER 1 – DEFINITIONS

Association: 
Swiss association of naturopaths with a federal diploma

Membership certificate: 
A certificate issued by the association confirming membership in good standing.

Patient: 
A person receiving professional services from an ASNFD member.

Regulations: 
The professional ethics regulations for members in good standing of the Swiss association of naturopaths with a federal diploma, or ASNFD code of ethics; these terms are interchangeable.

Service: 
An action or provision making technical or intellectual skills available to one or more other people.

Member: 
A naturopath with a Swiss federal diploma, naturopathy student, doctor or pharmacist as a supporting member, with the qualifications required by the association and membership in good standing. The member provides services and, to the best of their knowledge, guides patients towards balanced physical health choices to prevent illness and maintain or improve whole-person health: body, mind, emotions and environment.

CHAPTER 2 – GENERAL PROVISIONS

  1. Members are bound by the duties and obligations in these regulations and cannot exempt themselves.
  2. Members must practise competently, with integrity and loyalty.
  3. Members must work within their professional competence, knowledge and available resources. Where necessary, they must undertake training, consult another professional or refer their patient.
  4. Members must practise with respect for human life, dignity and freedom.
  5. Members have a duty to promote wellbeing and health at both individual and collective levels.
  6. Members must encourage education and information in their field.
  7. Members must ensure that employees and people working for or with them comply with the regulations.

CHAPTER 3 – DUTIES TO PATIENTS

SECTION 1 – QUALITY OF THE PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP

  1. Members must behave impeccably, physically, mentally and emotionally, towards everyone they encounter in professional practice.
  2. Members must seek to establish and maintain a relationship of trust with patients.
  3. Members must not abuse the professional relationship or exploit the dependency or vulnerability of anyone receiving services. In particular, sexual relationships, acts or remarks involving a patient are prohibited during the professional relationship; see the section on sexual misconduct.
  4. Members must not intervene in personal matters outside their field.
  5. When moving, stopping work or leaving practice, members must ensure patients can access therapeutic follow-up.

SECTION 2 – FREEDOM OF CHOICE AND CONSENT

  1. Members must respect a patient’s right to consult another member, professional or competent person and must not make decisions that impair these rights.
  2. Before any consultation or service, members must obtain the patient’s free and informed consent.
  3. Members must ensure patients understand a service’s nature and consequences. Where necessary, they must facilitate decision-making at all times and respect the decision.

SECTION 3 – AVAILABILITY

  1. Members must not refuse a service on grounds of race, colour, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, marital status, age, religion, political views, language, ethnic or national origin, social status or disability.
  2. Members may end services only for a fair and reasonable reason.
  3. Fair and reasonable reasons include, without limitation:
  • loss of the patient’s trust
  • lack of patient participation
  • personality incompatibility that could jeopardise the service’s success
  • a conflict of interest
  • a patient urging acts they know to be illegal, unfair or fraudulent
  • abusive behaviour, such as threats or aggressive acts
  • the member’s health or significant family responsibilities
  • retirement.
  1. A member ending services must, where possible, give reasonable notice and refer the patient to another professional.

SECTION 4 – CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROFESSIONAL SECRECY

  1. Members must keep all information obtained in professional practice confidential.
  2. They must in particular avoid revealing that someone has used their services and must not engage in indiscreet conversations, including online exchanges.
  3. Members may be released from professional secrecy only with the patient’s permission or where required by law.
  4. Members must take reasonable measures to ensure employees and collaborators preserve confidential information.
  5. Confidential information must not be used to a patient’s detriment.
  6. Confidential information must not be used to obtain an advantage for the member or another person.

SECTION 5 – RECORD-KEEPING AND ACCESS

  1. Each record must include:
  • the date it was opened
  • the patient’s name, address and telephone number
  • date of birth
  • health assessment
  • a brief description of the reasons for consultation and its date; all consultations must be recorded
  • a description and date of services and methods used
  • advice given to the patient
  • notes, correspondence and other documents relating to services.
  1. Members must record their time and, where applicable, their employees’ time, together with all relevant consultation notes, until professional services to the person concerned end.
  2. Each record must be retained for at least five years from the last service.
  3. Active and inactive records must be kept in a lockable room or cabinet that is not freely accessible to the public.
  4. Electronic records may be used provided that:
  • confidentiality is maintained
  • every entry or report includes its author’s name
  • the IT environment is highly secure, including server protection, passwords and locked sessions when the computer is unattended.
  1. Members must respect patients’ right to view documents concerning them and obtain copies within a reasonable time.
  2. Fees may be charged for reproduction, transcription or transmission. Patients must first be informed of the approximate cost.
  3. When a patient removes a document belonging to them, the member must insert a patient-signed note describing it and stating the removal date.
  4. Members absent from their practice must take necessary measures to keep records secure.

SECTION 6 – PRACTICE PREMISES

  1. Premises must be arranged so that the identity and conversations of those inside cannot be perceived from outside.
  2. A waiting area and a patient toilet must be available in or near the practice.
  3. Members must not practise in conditions, states or places likely to compromise service quality.
  4. The current ASNFD membership certificate must be displayed in the waiting area or practice.
  5. A copy of the current ASNFD professional ethics regulations must be publicly visible in the waiting area.

SECTION 7 – COST OF SERVICES

  1. Services and a fee schedule must be displayed in the waiting area and practice where patients can see them. They must clearly state:
  • the exact fees
  • the period for which fees apply
  • the nature and scope of included services
  • any additional services that may be required and are not included.
  1. Payment terms must be displayed where patients can see them.

SECTION 8 – SEXUAL MISCONDUCT

  1. Members must respect patients’ private and romantic lives.
  2. During the professional relationship, members must not attempt seduction or establish intimate or romantic ties with a patient.
  3. Sexual touching of any kind is prohibited.
  4. Sexual activity of any kind with a patient is prohibited during the professional relationship.
  5. Members must in particular refrain from:
  • sexually harassing or abusing patients
  • requesting or offering sexual favours
  • sexual remarks or sexually humiliating or degrading speech
  • comments on a patient’s physical appearance, clothing or sexual orientation
  • offering or guaranteeing a cure for sexual problems or dysfunction; if a patient discloses such problems, the member must refer them to a clinical sex therapist belonging to a professional body
  • performing or suggesting bodily or energetic procedures resembling sexual acts or carrying sexual connotations.

 

CHAPTER 4 – DUTIES TO THE PROFESSION

SECTION 1 – PROFESSIONAL MISCONDUCT

  1. Members must fulfil their professional duties with dignity and in compliance with the law. Misconduct subject to action by the association includes:
  • negligence in professional practice
  • unnecessary or disproportionate acts relative to patient needs, or unjustified multiplication of services
  • pressing or repeatedly soliciting someone to use services
  • acts or activities reserved to another profession
  • obtaining titles or qualifications illegitimately and practising fraudulently
  • using the authority of a helping role to exploit a patient’s vulnerability
  • practising under the influence of psychotropic or similarly acting substances, including alcohol
  • guaranteeing a cure or remission, even in good faith
  • lying or concealing important information about practice
  • charging for services not performed, except gift vouchers
  • failing to honour a valid, duly paid gift voucher
  • issuing tax or insurance receipts with incorrect service descriptions, amounts or dates.

SECTION 2 – CONTINUING EDUCATION

  1. Members must complete at least 15 hours of profession-related continuing education annually.
  2. Evidence must be provided to the association on renewal.

SECTION 3 – RELATIONS WITH THE ASSOCIATION

  1. Members must behave with dignity, courtesy, respect and integrity towards the association.
  2. Members must pay the non-refundable annual subscription.
  3. Members must respond fully, truthfully and promptly to requests from duly appointed and authorised association representatives.
  4. Members must honour commitments made to the association.
  5. Members must report anyone they believe to be unfit, incompetent or dishonest, or to have breached the regulations.
  6. Members must not exert improper pressure or offer money or other benefits to influence the association or its representatives.
  7. Members must cooperate with inspections, announced or unannounced.
  8. Members acknowledge sole responsibility for their practice.
  9. The association may temporarily or permanently expel any member who fails to comply with its regulations. Membership is particularly jeopardised or lost for:
  • serious breaches, including continuing education requirements
  • professional negligence
  • unjustified refusal of an announced or unannounced inspection by an ASNFD representative
  • fraud
  • non-payment of membership fees
  • any other reason deemed unacceptable and damaging to the profession.
  1. The association strongly recommends professional and civil liability insurance.

SECTION 4 – INDEPENDENCE

  1. Members must avoid apparent, potential or actual conflicts of interest.
  2. Any conflict that could influence practice must be disclosed to the association, whether apparent, potential or actual. A management plan must also be proposed; the association may accept or reject it.
  3. Members must refrain from:

obtaining financial benefit, particularly by prescribing devices or products; granting benefits, commissions or rebates in professional practice; accepting commissions, rebates or material benefits as a member, except customary thanks and individual modest gifts of CHF 100 or less, not given repeatedly.

SECTION 5 – RELATIONS WITH OTHER MEMBERS AND PROFESSIONALS

  1. Members must treat other members and professionals with dignity, courtesy, respect and integrity. In particular they must:
  • seek to establish and maintain harmonious relationships
  • refrain from disparaging other members or professionals
  • refrain from harassing, intimidating or threatening other members or professionals.

CHAPTER 5 – ADVERTISING

  1. Advertising by or on behalf of a member concerning activities reserved to them must clearly identify that member as solely responsible.
  2. Advertising containing incorrect or misleading information is prohibited.

CHAPTER 6 – USE OF THE ASSOCIATION’S BRAND

  1. Members may reproduce the association’s current graphic symbol:
  • in correspondence
  • on business cards
  • on a sign advertising their practice and services recognised by the association.
  1. Any reproduction of the association’s brand must conform to the original held by the association.