The Health Professions Council (HPC) told the government yesterday that the alternative medicine and complementary therapies of acupuncture, Chinese medicine and herbal medicine should be formally regulated.

The HPC stated that they would welcome the opportunity to do so to ensure that practitioners are ‘fit to practise’. Despite quality self-regulatory bodies and associations, the professions are currently not subject to statutory regulation.

The Department of Health received a report back in June that said regulation of acupuncture, Chinese medicine and herbal medicine was in the ‘public interest’.

By providing statutory regulation, people can be assured further of a practitioners competence and training while addressing concerns over safety about medicines prescribed.

The HPC already regulates the professions of podiatrist, dietician, paramedic, physiotherapist, speech therapist and radiographer.

Once statutory regulation is in place, practitioners can not use their title without being on the HPC register and to do so would be a criminal offence.

The final decision will be made by the Government but the HPC has demonstrated its ability to manage and regulate the other professions in a safe and cost-effective manner and believes it can do the same for acupuncture, Chinese medicine and herbal medicine.

This is a welcome step forward for alternative medicine and complementary therapy’s quest for validation in a world that is leaning toward natural and holistic treatment options.

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