Recorded presentation

Vivian Lin, Dr, Professor, School of Public Health, La Trobe University, La Trobe University, Bundoora, 3086, Australia, 6 3 9479 1743, v.lin@latrobe.edu.au

In 2000, the Victorian Government in Australia passed legislation to register practitioners of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine as a measure for protecting public health and safety. In 2003, following a series of high profile mishaps involving naturopathy and western herbal medicine, policy research was commissioned to assess whether there were sufficient risks to warrant government intervention, and if so, what regulatory measures were appropriate. The research involves assessment of risks and benefits, profiling of the workforce and the clients, determining the degree to which comparable education standards exist across institutions and the extent to which the profession and the has been recognized in the mainstream health system, ascertaining current arrangements for self-regulation via the professional associations, and reviewing relevance of other health workforce regulatory practices. This paper will review the methodology used as well as the findings, and the policy recommendations, which will be made in mid-2004.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the policy context and options for considering regulation of naturopathy and western herbal medicine;
• Articulate the technical and political dimensions of policy decision-making in relation to naturopathy and western herbal medicine

Keywords: Policy/Policy Development, Alternative Medicine/Therapies

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation