Slovenia

Go directly to legislation of specific CAM therapies in Slovenia:
Acupuncture – Anthroposophic medicine – Ayurveda – Chiropractic – Herbal medicine/Phytotherapy – Homeopathy – Massage – Naprapathy – Naturopathy – Neural therapy – Osteopathy – Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) - Other treatments

Slovenia became an independent state in 1991 following the dissolution of the Republic of Yugoslavia (11) and became a member state of the European Union in 2004 (11). Slovenia acceded the Council of Europe on May 14, 1993 (12).

The legal and regulatory status of CAM and CAM practices

Slovenia passed the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Act (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 94/2007; ActZakon o zdravilstvu (ZZdrav) in October 2007 (259). CAM treatments included (§4) are Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Ayurveda (traditional Indian medicine), homeopathy and other CAM systems like “methods of interaction between mind and body”, “biological methods”, “manipulative and bodybased methods”, “energy methods” (259).

The Chamber of CAM should be a legal body with the aim to manage CAM interests, registers and in addition control CAM systems, CAM methods and practitioners (§5, §23, §24) (259). The CAM Chamber was not properly established, and is now closed down (260).

The CAM act enables practitioners of CAM to be registered if they have at least a secondary education in the domain of healthcare or secondary education and a knowledge test in healthcare, plus a valid licence (details in §39). Article 35 and 36 give the criteria for CAM practitioner licences (259).

However, homeopathy, chiropractic and osteopathy can only be legally practised by those who have a diploma from a medical faculty, knowledge of homeopathy, chiropractic or osteopathy and a valid licence. Those MDs who apply for such a licence are also obliged not to ‘discourage anyone from the use of biomedicine’ (Uradni list, paragraph 15, line 2, p. p. 12646 / No. 94 / 16. 10. 2007) (259, 260).

According to §9 the CAM chamber sets criteria for CAM practices, CAM companies, technical and sanitary requirements of the treatment premises and professional titles (259). The CAM act includes regulations for practitioners insurance, advertisement of services and patient information (259).

In accordance with the Act provisions, the Chamber of CAM has the authority of licensing professionals for a period of seven years (28). The consequences of closing down the CAM chamber is that the CAM act is not yet fully implemented (28, 260).

In June 2008 the Medical Chamber of Slovenia introduced an article in the Medical Doctors Service Act (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 58/2008) to strictly prohibit medical doctors from practising homeopathy (28). As we understand it is the intention of the Slovene Medical Chamber to take licence to practise away from those who practise  homeopathy (260, 261).

The governmental supervision of CAM Practices

According to the CAM act (259) the CAM chamber shall pass a code of ethics for the CAM profession, perform monitoring and evaluations of CAM practices , including checking CAM practitioners’ conduct by carrying out professional supervision, as well as take measures in connection with code violations.

Article 42 of the CAM act gives specifications for technical supervision over CAM practitioners’ remedies and equipment (259). Legal entities and individuals already practising CAM shall bring their operations into compliance with article 9 of the CAM act within 2 years of the establishment of the chamber (259).

The reimbursement status of CAM practices and medicinal products

No CAM treatments are reimbursed in Slovenia (260).