Clarifying Scope of Practice: Dietary Guidelines and Food Cure Recipes in TCMA
The College has received several inquiries from licensees asking to clarify the scope of practice for the profession of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture (TCMA) related to the practice of traditional Chinese medicine dietary guidelines and food cure recipes.
Under the Complementary Health Professionals Regulation, the scope of practice for TCMA licensees has not changed.
Acupuncturist: Full may provide dietary guidelines informed by traditional Chinese medicine principles as an adjunct to acupuncture treatment; however, recommending or designing food cure recipes is not within scope.
Dietary Guidelines
As an adjunct to acupuncture treatment, dietary guidelines refer to generalized advice given to patients based on the principles of traditional Chinese medicine. These guidelines may include recommendations for foods within specific categories such as flavour, thermal property, and action, etc.
Dietary guidelines fall within the entry-level competencies and scope of practice for all Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture licensees.
Food Cure Recipes
Food cure recipes refer to the therapeutic use of foods in a manner similar to the design of herbal formulae.
This includes determining specific combinations, quantities (dosages), methods for preparation and processing of common foods, as well as foods that may function as both foods and/or herbs as treatment. Providing food cure recipes as treatment requires training and competence in herbal medicine, along with an understanding of herb-food, herb-herb, herb-drug, and herb-natural health product interactions. These areas are not included within the entry-level competencies for acupuncturists in BC.
Food cure recipes fall within the entry-level competencies and scope of practice for TCM Herbalist: Full, TCM Practitioner: Full, and Doctor TCM: Full.
More information on the scope of practice for Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture licensees can be found in the Scope of Practice Explanatory Statement: Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture.
