State Laws, January 2014

This summary of state laws was provided by The National Policy Group (info@thenationalpolicygroup.com).  It was current as of January 2014 and every attempt was made to ensure accuracy.  However, laws and regulations are always changing and this update should not be considered the ultimate authority. Please, verify with state boards and associations (and be sure to ask whether any changes are likely within six months of your inquiry).  The Acupuncture Observer is not responsible for this content.

(I’d love to have the resources to maintain a current and accurate list.  I’d love it even more if one of our acu-alphabets used their resources to provide such a list.)

State Laws, January 2014

***  Please note — as of October 1, 2014, Florida will require the NCCAOM CHE (Chinese Herbal) Exam of all applicants.  If you will not have your FL license in hand by that date, you will need the Herb exam regardless of your school graduation date.  Please verify that your herb education will permit you to sit the exam!

**** Please note — as of July 19, 2016, Delaware has an option for an acupuncture-only license.

 

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6 thoughts on “State Laws, January 2014

  1. This is a post about titles. I have always advocated that, if able, we should have the title of “Doctor” for two reasons. First, we are all trained as doctors of this medicine, and second, having the title changes the conversation.
    I am currently going through the licensure process in Georgia. Of course there is no reciprocity for my Florida license and they are making me jump through Draconian hoops. Perhaps this accounts for why there are fewer than 275 licensed acupuncturists in the state.
    Regarding title, according to the GA law, only MD’s & DO’s may identify themselves as “Doctor” or “Dr.” as well as a list of other titles. However, the state also recognizes that other professions have doctoral level training. What this means in English is that although I cannot put it in print, patients may refer to me as “Dr. Collins”.
    This disparity is not only insulting to those of us who have achieved the right to be addressed by our credentials, but to the profession itself. I am hopeful that legislative changes are on the way, not only in Georgia, but across the nation.
    Understand, this is not about ego. This is about respect.

    • The issues of regulatory hoops and licensure portability are very real indeed. A huge problem for our profession and one that we really, really need to focus on. We’re busy increasing demand for acupuncture when we testify on the opioid crises, or support legislation to add our services to Medicare, but we have no where close to the ability to meet the need we are creating. I know too many experienced practitioners who are stuck, unable to practice, because of licensure rules that serve no positive purpose.

      I think the title issue is something of a red herring, to be honest. It’s marketing. I can say a lot about it, and will say more, soon I hope.

    • Thanks for the update. This whole document is out-of-date. I keep hoping that one of our many “alphabet orgs” will invest the $ to maintain an updated list of state laws, but, so far, we’re pretty much on our own.

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