Herbal Medicine Dispensing

This seminar was specially organised by the Chinese Medical Institute and Register (CMIR) to advise practitioners on how they can prescribe herbal medicine in compliance with the new law due to come into force on 1st January 2014.

On 31st December 2013 the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will end the 'sell through' transition period of herbal medicine products. What this means to Chinese medicine practitioners is that they have to set up their own dispensary to individually make up and prescribe herbal medicine. They can no longer prescribe ready-made herbal medicine products to their patients.

Professor Man Fong Mei, Chairman of the CMIR and the Chinese Medical Council (CMC), led the seminar by providing a clear explanation of the ongoing regulatory situation and what practitioners must do to ensure that they retain the right to prescribe herbal medicine. Chinese medicine practitioners must take the following steps:

GET QUALIFIED

Practitioners should obtain a specialist diploma by attending a course in Chinese Herbal Materia Medica accredited by the CMIR. The course is organised by the AcuMedic Foundation and is designed for CMIR, DCMAc, DCHAc accredited members, acupuncturists and Chinese medicine practitioners who wish to consolidate their knowledge in Chinese medicine by attending a structured programme in Chinese herbal medicine formulation, prescription and dispensary management. The course is spread over two years and consists of two parts. Students will receive a certificate after successfully completing each part. Part 1 is for those practitioners who wish to obtain the certificate that will grant them the status of Qualified Prescriber and the right to practice herbal medicine. By successfully completing Part 2 a practitioner will receive a specialist postgraduate diploma in Chinese herbal materia medica. The Part 2 will provide practitioners with in-depth practical training necessary to make up individualised herbal prescriptions. The course is designed to fit into the busy schedules of practitioners, and requires them to attend just one weekend per month from October until June (except during the holiday period of December and January).

GET REGISTERED AND ACCREDITED

By joining the Chinese Medical Institute and Register, qualified practitioners will be able to prescribe herbal medicine under the new law coming into effect on 1st January 2014. In addition, the members of the CMIR will be among the first to benefit from the organisation's active involvement in the modernisation and integration of Chinese medicine through its educational, research and academic activities. The CMIR is an accrediting body which (via the Chinese Medical Council) participated in the Department of Health Steering Group as a Stakeholder. The CMIR also collaborates with top educational institutions in China and the West.

SET UP YOUR OWN DISPENSARY

To enable a qualified practitioner set up their own dispensary, AcuMedic have developed a range of herbal extracts which practitioners can prescribe to their patients. The herbal extracts have been created by extracting a herb's active ingredient through a sophisticated process of water-based distillation. The process preserves the herb's quality while eliminating any metals or pesticides. These herbal extracts can be prescribed on their own or combined into a formula in accordance with the patient's individual syndrome. By using the tools provided in the package, practitioners will be able to precisely prescribe the required amount of each herbal extract. The range of herbal extracts features herbs used in the most commonly prescribed AcuMedic TCM Classics capsulated herbal formulae (the C numbers). The packaging of each herbal extract features information that will provide the practitioner with essential guidance on the formulation of individualised prescriptions. Upon ordering a first set of herbal extracts, further information will be provided on the herbs they are using.

The CMIR and AcuMedic Foundation will organise further seminars on this subject to enable practitioners learn more about the regulatory situation and how they can prescribe herbal medicine in compliance with the new legislation.