Professional standards

All FCMA members, from all state and territory branches, must meet strict accreditation criteria in order to be a member, are bound by the FCMA Constitution and Code of Conduct and, if found in breach, are subject to formal disciplinary procedures that FCMA has in place. In addition, there are formal requirements for Continuing Professional Development (CPD), Senior First Aid, and Professional Indemnity Insurance cover. All practitioner members hold a minimum of a Chinese medicine bachelor degree or the equivalent.

Practitioner competency

Chinese medicine practitioners

Stringent training and competency requirements are established by the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia (CMBA) and enforced by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). The high standards imposed on Chinese medicine not only ensure the protection of the public but also give affirmation to our profession as meeting the same level of criteria as medical practitioners (GPs), pharmacists, dentists, nurses, osteopaths, physiotherapists, and other health professions registered under the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009 (the National Law) in accordance with the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS).

FCMA membership criteria are aligned with the registration standard, which includes, amongst other things, Continuing Professional Development (CPD), for which FCMA provides appropriate seminars, Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII), for which FCMA provides membership discounts, and a professional Code of Conduct.

Remedial massage therapists

Remedial massage and tuina (Chinese medicine remedial massage) are not registered professions but are still recognised in the health system. FCMA requires that these practitioners hold a Diploma of Therapeutic Massage HLT 50302 or HLT 50307 or HLT 52015, which is also the qualification recognised by most health insurance funds for the purpose of rebates.