Telephone Consultation
As a naturopathic physician since 1983, I have seen natural medicines do wonders for many of my patients. I also know that any substance that has physiological effects can also be misused. Ephedra is a good case in point. In 1983, after more than 1000 "adverse events reports" to the FDA and the much publicized deaths a few professional and high school athletes, the FDA issued warnings about ephedra, aka Ma Huang. This herb has been used for 5000 years in traditional Chinese medicine for respiratory illnesses such as asthma and sinus congestion. Sadly, it got marketed as a weight loss supplement. As a result, unsuspecting people who were targeted by unscrupulous marketers were harmed. One of the primary doctrines of medicine is "premum non nocere" or "first do no harm".
For people who are generally healthy and are comfortable ordering supplements, feel free to order from this website knowing that I have put these products here because I think they are from reputable manufacturers with a good track record. If you are currently taking prescription medications or have underlying health concerns, you may want to schedule a telephone consultation with me. I will advise you of known contraindications and adverse interactions that may make a particular choice of supplements unwise. I cannot, however, diagnose and/or treat a person over the phone. You must be under the care of a qualified healthcare provider who has done a proper history, physical, laboratory testing, and whatever may be required to diagnose and evaluate your condition. That cannot be done by me over the phone.
Phone consultations require my training and expertise and there is a charge based on the amount of time I spend on the phone with you. My fees are as follows:
- brief (5-10 minutes) $25
- intermediate (11-20 minutes) $50
- complex (21-30 minutes) $75
Phone consultations will not be billed to your medical insurance and must be paid in advance with a credit card. My office will not keep a chart or other medical records for phone consultations. You will not be considered an established patient of mine unless you have been seen and evaluated by me in my office.
In order to use your time efficiently, I request that you fill out the following: Telephone Consultation Form. To schedule a telephone consultation, please call my office at 907-456-MARY (6279). If you schedule a phone consultation and do not keep that appointment, we will not charge for the first missed appointment, but will charge for subsequent missed appointments.
