Reporting Complaints and Adverse Events: Licensing Boards, Consumer Agencies and Poison Control

Urgent first

If someone may have been poisoned, call Poison Help in the US at 1-800-222-1222; it is free, expert and confidential. [1] Call 911 if the person collapses, has a seizure, has trouble breathing or cannot be awakened. [1] For other emergencies, such as a severe allergic reaction, call 911 or your local emergency number. [2] Get care first and report afterward. See emergencies and poisoning during natural treatments.

Information only; this page does not replace medical care or legal advice.

Pick the right route

Licensing boards and colleges (examples we read)

• California (US). The Board of Naturopathic Medicine lists "File a Complaint against a Naturopathic Doctor or Unlicensed Practitioner" on its consumer page. [3]
• Washington (US). The Department of Health points to a complaint process page for health care providers and facilities. [7]
• Ontario (Canada). The College of Naturopaths of Ontario provides an online complaint form. It lists what to include: the name of the naturopathic doctor, your contact details, a description of the problem with place and date, any witnesses, and supporting evidence such as records, prescriptions, invoices, receipts, labels or vials of medication. [8] It says it cannot respond to anonymous complaints. [8]

Other states and countries have their own bodies. If your practitioner is a medical doctor, nurse or other regulated professional, report to that profession's board instead. To find the right one, see how to verify a credential. We did not read rules on time limits or outcomes, so ask the board.

Reporting a harmful product or reaction (US)

The FDA says it relies on voluntary reporting. [5] Consumers can complete the online reporting form themselves, and a health care provider is not required to report. [5] NCCIH says concerns about a dietary supplement can be reported through the US Health and Human Services Safety Reporting Portal. [9] An FDA consumer update from 2021 also lists a phone number for reports, 1-800-FDA-1088. [10]

An FDA report is not proof of cause: the FDA says it is not safe to assume that the product listed in a report actually caused the event. [11] Reporting still helps the FDA watch for safety problems. See side effects, allergic reactions and reporting.

Other countries

In the UK, the Yellow Card scheme says anyone can report an issue with a medicine, vaccine or medical device. [12] Proper evidence not found for a Canadian product-reporting route: we tried Health Canada's reporting page and could not read it, so check with Health Canada directly. For poison help outside the US see poison help by country.

Scams and billing

USAGov says state consumer protection offices can help with complaints against businesses and with investigating scams and fraud. [6] See red flags in marketing.

Before you file

Keep records, receipts, product labels and messages. Tell your regular doctor what happened; NCCIH advises telling all providers about every approach and practitioner. [13]