Originally published August 6 2005
Ontario becomes second Canadian province to regulate Chinese medicine
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The Canadian province of Ontario will introduce legislation by the end of the year to regulate Chinese medicine and acupuncture, Health Minister George Smitherman said recently.
The Ontario government is at long last taking steps to recognize ancient Chinese-medicine practices and to ensure that alternative health-care services, such as acupuncture, are delivered safely.
The government plans to introduce legislation by year-end to regulate traditional Chinese medicine, known as TCM, and acupuncture.
Health Minister George Smitherman yesterday unveiled a report that recommends the province create a regulatory college for TCM, allow only qualified health-care professionals to practise acupuncture and establish different classes of practitioners, depending on education and experience.
Ontario would join British Columbia as the only provinces to regulate TCM and acupuncture.
As things stand now in Ontario, acupuncture providers operate with virtually no oversight and there is no consistency with respect to education and training.
The report, written by MPP Tony Wong, will provide the government with a road map for drawing up legislation and fulfilling a promise made during the 2003 election campaign to protect the public from unskilled acupuncture practitioners, Mr. Smitherman said.
By proposing to establish different classes of TCM practitioners, the government has avoided having doctors of TCM wage a turf war with chiropractors and physiotherapists for exclusive rights to practise acupuncture.
TCM practitioners wanted their field to be recognized as a licensed medical profession requiring TCM education and training.
Such a move would stop physiotherapists and chiropractors from performing acupuncture.
"Our practice has always been open for criticism," said Cedric Cheung, president of the Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Association of Canada.
Dean Wright, president of the Ontario Chiropractic Association, also welcomed the news.
"Tens of thousands of patients in this province depend on the acupuncture services they receive from their chiropractors to help them deal with often debilitating conditions," Dr. Wright said.
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