Frequently Asked Questions
Updated August 5, 2011
Chapter 18.06 RCW and Chapter 246-803 WAC
What are the major changes?
What title do I have to use?
What new techniques are now named?
Do I have to provide all of these services?
Do I have to be licensed as an East Asian Medicine Practitioner to practice all of these techniques?
What professions did the law add as primary health care providers with whom East Asian Medicine Practitioners must consult?
If I see a patient with a potentially serious disorder and the patient refuses to authorize a consultation or provide a recent diagnosis from their primary health care provider, can I continue their treatment?
What do I have to include in the written waiver?
Where can I get a copy of the sample written waiver?
Where can I get a copy of the form used to inform patients of my scope of practice and qualifications?
Are there changes to the plan for consultation, emergency transfer and referral?
What examinations are required in order to be licensed?
Can I still be trained by apprenticeship and/or tutorial?
Can I be licensed if I graduated from a school, college, or program that was not in the United States?
Have the clinical training requirements changed?
Is there a time limit to how long my license can be on an inactive status?
How can I keep informed of changes to the East Asian medicine practitioner program and/or rules?
Back to Top
What are the major changes?
Law changed the name of the profession from Acupuncture to East Asian medicine practitioner. It clarified the scope of practice to specifically name treatment techniques currently performed by East Asian medicine practitioners. The requirements changed regarding referrals of patients with potentially serious conditions.
What title do I have to use?
You may refer to yourself as an East Asian medicine practitioner, acupuncturist, licensed acupuncturist, EAMP, or L.Ac.
What new techniques are now named?
New techniques are:
- Dietary advice and health education based on East Asian medical theory. This
includes the recommendation and sale of herbs, vitamins, minerals, and dietary
and nutritional supplements.
- Breathing, relaxation and East Asian exercise techniques.
- Qi gong.
- East Asian massage and Tui na. Tui na is a method of East Asian bodywork
characterized by the kneading, pressing, rolling, shaking, and stretching of the
body and does not include spinal manipulation.
- Superficial heat and cold therapies.
In addition, acupuncture now includes the use of acupuncture needles or lancets to directly or indirectly stimulate acupuncture points and meridians.
Do I have to provide all of these services?
No. A practitioner should never perform a technique he or she is not adequately trained in or comfortable providing.
Do I have to be licensed as an East Asian Medicine Practitioner to practice all of these techniques?
The law allows an individual to do the following techniques or services without being licensed as an East Asian medicine practitioner:
- Dietary advice and health education based on East Asian medical theory. This includes the recommendation and sale of herbs, vitamins, minerals, and dietary and nutritional supplements
- Breathing, relaxation, and East Asian exercise techniques
- Qi gong
- East Asian massage and Tui na. Tui na is a method of East Asian bodywork characterized by the kneading, pressing, rolling, shaking, and stretching of the body and does not include spinal manipulation
- Superficial heat and cold therapies
- Selling herbal products.
The techniques or services listed above may be within the scope of practice for another health care profession. You may need to hold another health care credential in order to perform them.
What professions did the law add as primary health care providers with whom East Asian Medicine Practitioners must consult?
Licensed East Asian Medicine Practitioners may consult with
(physicians, chapter 18.71RCW),
(physician assistants, chapter 18.71A RCW,
(osteopathic physicians, chapter 18.57 RCW),
(osteopathic physician assistants, chapter 18.57A RCW),
(naturopathic physicians, chapter 18.36A RCW) and
(advanced registered nurse practitioners, RCW 18.79.050).
Back to Top
If I see a patient with a potentially serious disorder and the patient refuses to authorize a consultation or provide a recent diagnosis from their primary health care provider, can I continue their treatment?
You may only continue the patient’s treatment after the patient signs a written waiver. The waiver acknowledges the risks associated with failure to pursue treatment from a primary health care provider.
What do I have to include in the written waiver?
Law requires the waiver to include:
- An explanation of the East Asian medicine practitioner’s scope of practice, to include the services and techniques they can provide; and
- A statement that the services and techniques the East Asian medicine practitioner is authorized to provide will not resolve the patient’s underlying potentially serious disorder.
Where can I get a copy of the sample written waiver?
You can find a sample of the written waiver here.
Where can I get a copy of the form used to inform patients of my scope of practice and qualifications?
You can find a sample of the scope of practice and qualifications here.
Are there changes to the plan for consultation, emergency transfer and referral?
Yes, the written plan has been changed. You can find a sample of the plan for consultation form here.
What examinations are required in order to be licensed?
You must pass the following National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) examinations:
- Foundations of Oriental Medicine module
- Acupuncture with point location module
- Biomedicine module
Back to Top
You must also pass the Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (CCAOM) clean needle technique course.
Can I still be trained by apprenticeship and/or tutorial?
Yes, you can still get your training by apprenticeship and/or tutorial.
Can I be licensed if I graduated from a school, college, or program that was not in the United States?
Yes, but the law changed the requirements for licensing. You must now obtain a credentialing evaluation report from the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO). You must have the report sent directly from the AACRAO to the department.
Have the clinical training requirements changed?
The only change to the clinical training requirements was to the definition of qualified instructor(s). An instructor(s) must be qualified to provide instruction in their area(s) of specialization in East Asian medicine. They must demonstrate this by having broad and comprehensive training in East Asian medicine and having two years of relevant current work experience or teaching experience in East Asian medicine.
Is there a time limit to how long my license can be on an inactive status?
Yes, the rule now has a three year time limit. Refer to WAC 246-803-400 "Inactive Status for
Requirements".
How can I keep informed of changes to the East Asian medicine practitioner program and/or rules?
You can join our interested parties list to receive updates and notifications about the East Asian medicine practitioner program.
Back to Top
|
