Clipping Board » Medical Affairs and Administration ─ Medical system, pharmaceuticals, and medical community-related reports
On January 11, 2006, according to a report by the "Voice of America" Chinese newspaper, Chen Daren, one of the founders and honorary president of the California Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners, and a professor at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, recently revealed that the diagnostic rights of Chinese medicine practitioners are being challenged. The loss of diagnostic rights for Chinese medicine practitioners has put the acupuncture profession at risk of being abolished. He stated that in the face of these two setbacks, the previously fragmented Chinese medicine community has united unprecedentedly to pool their strength and overcome difficulties.
It was reported that the Chinese-American acupuncturists in California demonstrated unprecedented unity in two actions last summer to prevent the acupuncture board from being abolished. They organized two large-scale protest demonstrations at the state government, each involving five to six hundred people. Especially noteworthy was that many acupuncturists from Southern California temporarily closed their clinics and rushed to the state government overnight, which was unimaginable in the past.
Chen Daren said, "In the past, the Chinese medicine community was divided, with many associations. Now we are promoting the establishment of a unified guild for all Chinese-American acupuncturists in California. Just like the white community has their guild, the Japanese community has theirs, and the Korean community has theirs, all having one guild. However, the Chinese community has seven or eight guilds, which is very unfavorable for fighting for the common rights and interests of Chinese-American acupuncturists. Legislators also don't know whom to listen to."
Professor Chen stated, "Although the legislative effort to secure diagnostic rights for Chinese medicine practitioners in California this year was not successful, it cannot be considered a complete failure. Our legislative proposal was passed unanimously by both the Senate and the Assembly, but the opposition from the Western medical community was strong, so the governor did not dare to sign the legislation."
Professor Chen explained that acupuncture has been very popular in American society over the past 30 years, with even many physical therapists wanting to practice acupuncture. After short-term training, they perform acupuncture on patients, which not only infringes on the rights of professional acupuncturists but is also irresponsible to patients. Since 1986, Chinese medicine practitioners have objectively had diagnostic rights, but no legal provision explicitly grants them independent diagnostic rights. This loophole has been exploited by some Western medical practitioners who want to practice acupuncture, allowing them to obtain acupuncture treatment rights for patients without a license, infringing on the basic rights of Chinese medicine practitioners.
"Additionally, regarding the proposal to abolish the acupuncture board, we have reached a compromise with the legislature," Professor Chen said. "We accepted some of their suggestions to replace the current members of the acupuncture board, and they accepted our request to retain the acupuncture board." The acupuncture board is a relatively independent agency within the California government, managing the professional conduct of acupuncturists, setting various standards, and handling patient-related complaints.
Looking to the future, Professor Chen said, "In 2006, we will strive for two important pieces of legislation. One is to legally clarify that Chinese medicine practitioners can independently diagnose, and the other is to require anyone practicing acupuncture to have a license."
It is reported that 30 years ago, when acupuncturists first gained the right to practice, the majority were of Chinese descent. Now, there are over 20,000 acupuncturists in the United States, with Chinese-American acupuncturists becoming a minority. In California, the majority of students in over a dozen acupuncture schools are white, but in terms of acupuncture legislation, Chinese-Americans still play a leading role.
Source: http://www. takungpao. com/ news/ 06/ 01/ 11/ GY- 509544. htm
TCM Practitioners' Diagnostic Authority Challenged in the US
It was reported that the Chinese-American acupuncturists in California demonstrated unprecedented unity in two actions last summer to prevent the acupuncture board from being abolished. They organized two large-scale protest demonstrations at the state government, each involving five to six hundred people. Especially noteworthy was that many acupuncturists from Southern California temporarily closed their clinics and rushed to the state government overnight, which was unimaginable in the past.
Chen Daren said, "In the past, the Chinese medicine community was divided, with many associations. Now we are promoting the establishment of a unified guild for all Chinese-American acupuncturists in California. Just like the white community has their guild, the Japanese community has theirs, and the Korean community has theirs, all having one guild. However, the Chinese community has seven or eight guilds, which is very unfavorable for fighting for the common rights and interests of Chinese-American acupuncturists. Legislators also don't know whom to listen to."
Professor Chen stated, "Although the legislative effort to secure diagnostic rights for Chinese medicine practitioners in California this year was not successful, it cannot be considered a complete failure. Our legislative proposal was passed unanimously by both the Senate and the Assembly, but the opposition from the Western medical community was strong, so the governor did not dare to sign the legislation."
Professor Chen explained that acupuncture has been very popular in American society over the past 30 years, with even many physical therapists wanting to practice acupuncture. After short-term training, they perform acupuncture on patients, which not only infringes on the rights of professional acupuncturists but is also irresponsible to patients. Since 1986, Chinese medicine practitioners have objectively had diagnostic rights, but no legal provision explicitly grants them independent diagnostic rights. This loophole has been exploited by some Western medical practitioners who want to practice acupuncture, allowing them to obtain acupuncture treatment rights for patients without a license, infringing on the basic rights of Chinese medicine practitioners.
"Additionally, regarding the proposal to abolish the acupuncture board, we have reached a compromise with the legislature," Professor Chen said. "We accepted some of their suggestions to replace the current members of the acupuncture board, and they accepted our request to retain the acupuncture board." The acupuncture board is a relatively independent agency within the California government, managing the professional conduct of acupuncturists, setting various standards, and handling patient-related complaints.
Looking to the future, Professor Chen said, "In 2006, we will strive for two important pieces of legislation. One is to legally clarify that Chinese medicine practitioners can independently diagnose, and the other is to require anyone practicing acupuncture to have a license."
It is reported that 30 years ago, when acupuncturists first gained the right to practice, the majority were of Chinese descent. Now, there are over 20,000 acupuncturists in the United States, with Chinese-American acupuncturists becoming a minority. In California, the majority of students in over a dozen acupuncture schools are white, but in terms of acupuncture legislation, Chinese-Americans still play a leading role.
Source: http://www. takungpao. com/ news/ 06/ 01/ 11/ GY- 509544. htm