Practice Support continues to receive questions about the use of traditional Chinese medicine herbal therapies and Natural Health Products (NHPs). Common questions include which classes of registrants may prescribe or recommend these products, and whether compounding is within scope for TCMA registrants. The following overview is intended to clarify what is permitted and to support safe, informed practice.
What This Means for Different Registrant Classes
The use of TCM herbal products and NHPs depends on registrant class and scope of practice.
Registered Acupuncturists
Registered acupuncturists may use pre-made, Health Canada approved topical TCM herbal products, provided these products are applied within the context of a traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture treatment.
Registered TCM Practitioners, TCM Herbalists, and Doctors of TCM
Registrants in these classes may incorporate a broader range of herbal and NHP-related activities into practice. These include:
- Prescribing, compounding, and dispensing TCM herbal formulae
- Prescribing, compounding, and dispensing TCM food cure recipes
- Recommending Health Canada approved Natural Health Products that have a Natural Product Number (NPN)
- Applying Health Canada approved topical TCM herbal products
- Formulating custom topical TCM herbal products for individual patients
Informed Consent and Documentation
All Registrants are expected to obtain informed consent, which includes discussing potential risks and benefits with patients and ensuring the proper documentation of any adverse events or allergic reactions in the clinical record. Documentation should also include details of symptom management advice provided and any referrals made to other health care providers in relation to the event.
Registrants who compound and/or dispense TCM herbal formulas are expected to adhere to the labelling guidelines as outlined in section 5.4.4 of the Safety Program Handbook.
Additional Resources
The following resources offer further guidance and detail on these topics:
- Safety Program Handbook, Section 5: Safe Procedures and Processes, Herbology
For questions related to scope of practice and the use of TCM herbal products and NHPs, registrants are encouraged to contact Practice Support at PracticeSupport@cchpbc.ca or call 604-742-6670 press 2 and then press 1. Choose the option for the profession that the questions are related to.
