Chinese Medicine Practitioners


Job Description


Chinese medicine is an integral part of the Chinese culture. It has a long history and a unique theoretical system, and is characterized by its treatment methods of taking an overall observation of a patient’s physical condition and diagnosing an illness in accordance with an overall analysis of symptoms and signs as well as the patient’s health condition. Chinese medicine in fact is a kind of learning that involves extensive and profound knowledge. It includes various doctrines such as the ‘four methods of diagnosis’, namely ‘observation, auscultation and olfaction, interrogation, pulse feeling and palpation’; doctrines of yin and yang as well as the five elements in the study of differentiation of symptoms and signs; viscera-state doctrine; and the theory of channels and collaterals. The treatment methods include Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture, qigong and massage therapy.


Through the combination of the ‘four methods of diagnosis’, namely ‘observation, auscultation and olfaction, inquiry, pulse feeling and palpation’, a Chinese medicine practitioner can understand the medical history and condition of a patient as well as symptoms found in his/her body. Having analyzed the aforesaid information of the patient and diagnosed his/her illness, the Chinese medicine practitioner can subsequently come up with a treatment for the patient’s illness.


Although the Chinese medicine and the western medical practice are developed on the basis of different systems of medical theories, both types of medical practitioners are highly professional in making accurate diagnosis and answering patients’ enquiries about health information.


The Government has a plan to set up 18 out-patient clinics of the Chinese medicine at the public medical institutions by the end of 2005. At present, most of the Chinese medicine practitioners set up their own clinic or are stationed at herbal medicine shops. Some of them are employed to work in Chinese medicine clinics of the private medical institutions, out-patient clinics of the Chinese medicine in the hospitals (such as Tung Wah Group of Hospitals and Yan Chai Hospital) or other private institutions.


Qualities and Qualifications



Professional Qualifications


The Chinese Medicine Ordinance (Chapter 549) was passed by the Legislative Council on 14 July 1999. In accordance with the Ordinance, a regulatory system was set up to monitor the professional standard and conduct of Chinese medicine practitioners and their registration so as to safeguard public health as well as consumers’ rights.

In the long run, all the Chinese medicine practitioners in Hong Kong should be registered before practising. Any person who wishes to register as registered Chinese medicine practitioner can pursue either of the following paths:


  1. According to the Chinese Medicine Ordinance, Chinese medicine practitioners who were practising Chinese medicine on 3 January 2000 can apply for registration of Chinese medicine practitioners under the transitional arrangements; or

  2. For those who cannot apply for registration of Chinese medicine practitioners under the transitional arrangements, they should have satisfactorily completed an undergraduate degree course in Chinese medicine practice or its equivalent as approved by the Chinese Medicine Practitioners Board of the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong and pass the Licensing Examination.


Under section 76 of the Chinese Medicine Ordinance, a registered Chinese medicine practitioner shall hold a practising certificate in force if he wishes to practise Chinese medicine in Hong Kong. The practising certificate is valid for a period not exceeding 3 years and is renewable after expiry. One of the conditions for renewal of the certificates is that the Chinese medicine practitioners must pursue continuing education in Chinese medicine as specified by the Chinese Medicine Practitioners Board in order to improve their professional knowledge and keep themselves abreast of the latest developments of the profession.


Transitional arrangements for registration of Chinese medicine practitioners


A person who was practising Chinese medicine in Hong Kong on 3 January 2000 is eligible to apply for registration of Chinese medicine practitioners under the transitional arrangements. The qualified person may apply to the Chinese Medicine Practitioners Board to become a listed Chinese medicine practitioner. The Board will conduct alternative qualifying assessments for all listed Chinese medicine practitioners and determine by which of the following means the applicants can apply to be registered Chinese medicine practitioners:


 Apply for registration directly; or

 Must pass the Registration Assessment; or

 Must pass the Licensing Examination


During the period of transitional arrangements, both registered Chinese medicine practitioners and listed Chinese medicine practitioners are allowed to practise legally. However, there are still differences between the two categories of medical practitioners as follows: (1) they use different titles; (2) they display different certificates in their practising clinics; (3) they comply with different professional codes of practice; and (4) they have different powers to prescribe toxic Chinese herbal medicines. After the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food announces the end of the transitional period by publication in the Gazette, only registered Chinse medicine practitioners are allowed to practise legally whereas listed Chinese medicine practitioners are prohibited to do so.


You may contact the following organization for further information about the registration of Chinese medicine practitioners:


The Secretariat of the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong
37/F, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen’s Road East, Wanchai, Hong Kong
2121 1888
http://www.cmchk.org.hk

Career Path


As Chinese medicine practitioners nowadays generally run their own clinics or work as resident medical practitioners at herbal medicine shops, there is no common career path in the field for the time being.


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