Posted on 22nd Nov 2011 @ 3:18 PM

 

Thankfully all professions, including natural health practitioners, are increasingly regulated which helps to ensure they have undergone the requisite training, are insured and have registered with the appropriate regulatory body. Chinese medicine (acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine), which is practised and utilised widely throughout Australia, has recently been added to the existing health professions that are regulated in all states/territories of Australia. Until recently each State and territory had implemented its own regulatory framework, which has resulted in a fragmented and inconsistent status quo – particularly for consumers. ntpages spoke to Debra Gillick, Registrar with the Chinese Medicine Registration Board of Victoria, for more background on the new legislation and its implications.

Firstly, tell us a little about the Chinese Medicine Registration (CMR) Board of Victoria.

“The CMR Board was the first statutory authority to regulate Chinese medicine in Australia. The Chinese Medicine Registration Act 2000 became fully operational in Victoria on 1 January 2002 and was later replaced by the Health Professions Registration Act 2005 which will soon be replaced by national legislation. What this means is that since 1 January 2002 it has been a legal requirement for all acupuncturists and practitioners of Chinese herbal medicine in Victoria to be registered – which is the equivalent to having a license to practise.  From 1 July 2012 this will became a legal requirement throughout Australia.”

What is your role?

“The CMR Board's function is to apply the law in protecting the public through regulation of the practice of Chinese medicine including acupuncture and the prescribing and dispensing of Chinese herbs. This is achieved via the process of registration of practitioners and investigation into the professional competence and fitness to practise of registered practitioners. This requires the CMR Board to ensure practitioners are suitably qualified and to investigate complaints (notifications) about them.”

What is the background behind the current move to regulate health professions?

“In Australia, for any health profession to become regulated by law (often referred to as statute) the parliaments of all states must agree it is necessary in order to protect the public. In effect, it is deemed that the particular health practice should not be offered unless the practitioner has been properly assessed to be adequately qualified, currently competent and is a fit and proper person to practise in that profession.”

Do associations not provide some measure of protection for consumers?

“Not in the same way. Associations are effectively groups of practitioners who form an alliance to primarily represent their own interests.  This is highly valued and performs an important role, especially when there is no statutory regulation - but they are voluntary with no legislative power.”

Which professions will be regulated – and from what date?

“Currently the following ten health professions are regulated in all States/territories of Australia:

       Chiropractic

       Dental care practice

       Medical practice

       Nursing and midwifery

       Optometry

       Osteopathy

       Pharmacy

       Physiotherapy

       Podiatry

       Psychology

The following four health professions, which are currently regulated in some but not all jurisdictions, will become regulated in all States/territories of Australia from 1 July 2012:

       Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practice

       Medical Radiation practice

       Occupational Therapy

       Chinese medicine (acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine)

What is the primary objective of this regulation?

“As with all the other regulated professions, the primary purpose of statutory regulation is protection of public health, safety and welfare.”

How are standards developed for registration and accreditation?

“The Victoria Board has (and the new Australia Board will when it is established later this year) always developed draft codes and guidelines and circulated them to stakeholders and published then on its website for consultation.  Under the national system, the following five mandatory standards must be developed and approved by the Australian Health Workforce Ministerial Council:

1. Professional indemnity insurance
2. Criminal history
3. Continuing professional development
4. English language skills: and
5. Recency of practice

The National Law requires the national Boards to undertake wide-ranging consultation on proposed registration standards and codes and guidelines.”

What checks will a practitioner be subjected to?

“Every registration applicant must have a criminal history check.  Some applicants may be subject to checking of qualifications and competence.”

How do I make sure a practitioner is registered?

“The national public register is available on the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHRPA) website 24 hours a day.”

Will practitioners be required to have professional indemnity insurance?

“Yes, and in Victoria they are already required to have this.”

What would qualify as unethical or incompetent behaviour by a registered practitioner?

“This is a big question.  The Board issues practice guidelines for registered practitioners which are available on our website. The Board must deal with Chinese medicine practitioners whose professional conduct or fitness to practise is in question.  Anyone can make a notification to the Board about a Chinese medicine practitioner who is, or was, registered with the Board.   The Board will then investigate and find out if anything is wrong. If people have concerns or queries about Victorian registered practitioners they also can contact the Board. In other States it is appropriate to go through the relevant professional associations such as the Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association, Federation of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Societies of Australia, Australian Natural Therapists Association or the Australian Traditional-Medicine Society.”

 (This is reported by NTPAGES)