Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture in Canada has done an excellent job of creating a central Oriental medicine site for Canada and they track current overall developments in many areas, including government regulations and accreditation requirements.

NAFTA Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. (NAFTA–North American Federation Trade Agreements.) Canadian associations or schools in Canada may be represented on the Commission. Contacthe Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Alliance in the US. First see NAFTA Commission Report 8/27-29/99 report. (253) 851-6896 Fax: (253) 851-6883. http://www.acupuncturealliance.org

SCHOOL ACCREDITATION. Standards for School Accreditation Accreditation of Schools and Educational Training ALBERTA BRITISH COLUMBIA (CTCMA) College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of B.C. Approval Guidelines for Eduation/Training Program for accreditation can be accessed and downloaded from their site at http://www.ctcma.bc.ca/ The document is called schedules.doc PPSEC Private Post Secondary Education Commission of British Columbia This body defines accreditation as a voluntary process by which a registered institution seeks recognition of its standards of integrity and educational competence. A summary of the accreditation criteria can be downloaded from their web site. Email   Examination Boards and Agencies that Certify Acupuncture and/or Traditional Chinese Medicine Students are not required, but can choose to take the (NCCAOM) National Certification for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine exam in the US for certification. BRITISH COLUMBIA CTCMA) College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of B.C. was established by the Provincial Government to regulate and create standards for the professions of acupuncturist and traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners in B.C. It participated in the process of establishing educational and accreditation standards for acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine. Email Obtain: Application Guideline for Registration   ONTARIO While colleges may choose to be accredited by the ACAOM in the US and students take the NCCAOM licensing examination in the US, there is still no single body accrediting the colleges in Ontario. Each colleges offers there own examination. Ontario Acupuncture Examination Council 3025 Hurontario #307 Mississauga, Ontario L5A 2H1 (905) 896-1045 Extensive work went into the creation of an examination for Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine in Ontario. The acceptance of this examination has been in process. Acupuncture Foundation of Canada Institute has formed a strong certification program; however, it is limited to already government regulated practitioners such as physicians, dentists, physiotherapists, chiropractors, naturopaths, veterminarians and licened acupuncturists (licenesd outside Ontario, at least until Ontario acupuncturists are regulated by the government mandated agency. Check their site for participation requirments. Email WHO World Health Organization provides a reknown list of conditions that acupuncture has successfully treated, as well as documentation.

ChRECOMMENDED PUBLICATIONS Related to Competency and Scope of Practice The Art of Practice Management for Acupuncture Health Care Practices 516 pages by Bestani, Fernandez and Gumenick 500+ pages addresses total acupuncture practice management, standards of care, safe practice planning and risk management communications and procedures within the philosophy of acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. This is a five star rated book and its expertise has universal application. It can be used with additional information on the laws and regulations from this website and information on the US oriented insurance chapter can be ignored. Contac/A> From Tao to Earth for distributors in Canada. Acupuncture Risk Management by D. Kailin, 336 pages. One of the best resources for clinical practice competency training and reference. Furthermore, although the author synthesizes all of the US federal documents into a readable manageable form. it is authoritative enough to use internationally if used with the regulations and laws accessible from this website. ContacFrom Tao to Earth for distribution in Europe Contac/A> From Tao to Earth for distributors in Canada. Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Forms Packets with Disclosure, Risk and Benefits and Consent Forms, Other Medical Release and consent History, Intake and Patient Care Forms, Legal Contracts, Narratives and Liens, etc. Click on Professional Forms on the navigation bar. Herbal Safety section of the National Acupuncture Alliance website. Click on their Overview and Recommendations, Scientific Studies, FDA List of Botanical Ingredients, FDA Important Alert, FDA Letter to the Industry, FDA Letter to Health Care Professionals. Herb Safety Articles, including Drug Herb Interaction Page are outstanding. They are on Subudhi Dharma's web site: www.itmonline.org Jonathan Treasure's Site has valuable information regarding drug-herbal interactions and correct handling of this. Clean Needle Technique Manual - Fourth Edition by the National Acupuncture Foundation - contains up-to-date information on revised CNT procedures, OSHA requirements and CNT procedures for public health settings. Available in English, Chinese and Korean. Laws and Regulations for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine - Download from the applicable medical board page. Toward a Safer Choice (click on title for Book Review)available from the AAOM, Redwing Books, Acuneeds Australia, Oxford Press. It addresses competency standards and regulations in practice. Acupuncture Efficacy: A Compendium of Controlled Clinical Studies by Birch and Hammerschlag was funded through the CCAOM member contributions to the National Academy of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine as a grant for this book. Review on its uses by practitioners, administrators, legislators. E-mail NAAOM for individual and bulk discounts. Available from Acupuncture Alliance in Washington (US) and Redwing Books. in Massachusetts (US) Check the regulatory agencies and medical board page. Laser Institute of America Florida. Laser standards, laser training texts and videos. Florida. Source for ANSI Z136.1 Rockwell Laser Industries, Inc. LaserNet. Laser Safety information & database. Precautions on the use of Magnetic Devices.