‘Get to know your guidelines now’ says Chinese Medicine Board as go live gets closer

27 Oct 2017

The Chinese Medicine Board of Australia is asking Chinese medicine practitioners to check their knowledge of the Guidelines for safe practice of Chinese herbal medicine.

There is less than one month to go before the guidelines come into effect.

It has been over two years since the Board published the guidelines and from next month practitioners will be expected to meet them and use them as part of their Chinese medicine practice.

The Board has developed these guidelines to support the safe practice of Chinese herbal medicine and make sure that medication safety is a priority for practitioners so that they meet the expected standards for the profession.

Board Chair Professor Charlie Xue said: ‘When it comes to keeping the public safe, for Chinese medicine practitioners who use Chinese herbal medicines in their practice, doing so safely is the best medicine for their patients.’

The guidelines reflect the need safe practice by Chinese medicine practitioners due to the expanding use of herbal medicines globally and their safety is increasingly important to the public.

‘The guidelines are very practical and easy to use so get to know them. They have been available for practitioners to get familiar with for some time and we expect all practitioners are aware of them and the need to use them in their practice,’ added Professor Xue.

All Chinese medicine practitioners need to take all the necessary steps to comply with the guidelines. Chinese medicine practitioners who do not comply risk facing regulatory action.

The Board has released resources to help Chinese medicine practitioners with the implementation of the guidelines, including a Quick reference guide, FAQ, a User guide - Nomenclature compendium for Chinese herbal medicine and,

• Nomenclature list of commonly used Chinese herbal medicines.

These guidelines come onto full effect on 12 November 2017.