P04.64. Chinese medicine in Australia: the nature of practice and perspectives of practitioners

Purpose With the advent of a national regulatory framework in Australia for major health care professions, the inclusion of Chinese medicine (CM) in 2012 is a significant event. Based in mandatory legislation, this is the first comprehensive national regulation of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine practice to occur across all states and territories in a country outside China. This report is the largest survey on primary Chinese medicine practitioners to be carried out in Australia since 1997, and the first national qualitative study to investigate the developing cultural and clinical practice dynamics within CM. This research intends not only to describe and represent the nature and perspectives of the CM professional community, in line with the CM principles of inclusion and holism, but also to contribute to mutually beneficial dialogue and collaboration with other streams of healthcare.