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Delegation From The State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, People's Republic of China (PRC) Visits Transitional Council

June 18, 2010.

A 6-member delegation of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People’s Republic of China, led by the Deputy Minister of the PRC Ministry of Health, Mr. Guo Qiang WANG, visited the Transitional Council of the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of Ontario (TC-CTCMPAO) on June 15, 2010. Also in attendance was Mr. Yuan Yuan ZHUANG, Consul of the PRC Consulate General (Toronto).

The delegation was welcomed by the President and Registrar as well as Mr. Stephen CHENG, Senior Policy Analyst of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, and staff of the transitional Council.

During the meeting, Mr. CHENG and the Registrar provided an overview on the health regulatory system in Canada and in Ontario.

The delegation commended the TC-CTCMPAO on the significant progress made in developing regulations for TCM to achieve self-regulatory status within the Ontario health professions regulatory system.

The delegates recognized the challenges facing the TC-CTCMPAO and the government in bringing traditional Chinese medicine into the health regulatory system and in ensuring that patients receive safe service from qualified practitioners.

On the invitation of the President, Mr. WANG spoke and suggested a number of approaches to regulation which coincided with the approaches and directions taken by the TC-CTCMPAO. These included:

• identifying the backgrounds and practices of practitioners, which the TC-CTCMPAO completed in 2007/08;
  
• drafting regulations that stipulate different processes for evaluation of current practitioners and “new” entrants to the profession, which affirmed the TC-CTCMPAO’s approach to developing specific processes for grandparenting and allowing for flexibility in language proficiency;
• establishing examinations to evaluate the skills, knowledge and abilities (i.e. practice competencies) of  “new” entrants to the profession;
• professional self-regulation, which is consistent with the purpose of the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991.  The CTCMPAO will be operating as a self-regulatory college under the RHPA.
• learning from the experience of other provinces in Canada and from other jurisdictions. The TC-CTCMPAO is currently working closely with other provinces and sharing their experiences under the Canadian Alliance of Regulatory Bodies for Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists (CARB) and references the experience of other countries, including the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong, Australia and Singapore.

中國衛生部副部長兼國家中醫藥管理局局長王國強率領的6人代表團,連同中國駐多倫多總領事館領事莊圓圓， 在6月15日訪問安省中醫師針灸師管理局過渡委員會。

迎接代表團的包括主席， 註冊總監， 以及衛生及長期護理廳的高級政策分析主任（Senior Policy Analyst） Mr. Stephen CHENG， 還有其他過渡委員會的職員。

衛生及長期護理廳的Mr. Stephen CHENG和過渡委員會註冊總監在會議當中概述了加拿大及安省的醫療專業規管制度。

代表團理解過渡委員會和政府在把中醫納入醫療專業規管制度，確保病人能夠獲得安全以及合資格的醫療服務的過程中所面對的困難。代表團亦對過渡委員會在制定法規過程中取得的進展表示讚揚，並希望安省中醫日後能夠在安省醫療專業規管制度內自我規管。

應過渡委員會主席邀請下,代表團團長王國強提出數項建議， 這些建議和過渡委員會的取向與途徑不謀而合。其中包括：

• 就執業中的中醫師及針灸師進行調查， 以便了解現時業界的背景和執業狀況。過渡委員會已在2007/08年時進行了這項調查。
• 分別用不同的程序評核執業中的業內人士和新入行人士。這項建議肯定了過渡委員會註冊草案中擬定的“祖輩程序”和靈活處理語文能力的方法。
• 成立考試評估新入行人士的能、 知識和能力。（即專業只技能）
• 專業自我規管。這項建議跟『法定醫療護理專業法，１９９１』（Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991）的目的一致。在ＲＰＨＡ下，當安省中醫師及針灸師管理局成立後便會以自我監管型式運行。
• 從其他已有監管機構的省份學習及吸取經驗。現時安省中醫師及針灸師管理局過渡委員會和其他省份在加拿大中醫師及針灸師規管機構聯盟Canadian Alliance of Regulatory Bodies for Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists (CARB) 裡密切地合作及交流經驗。過渡委員會亦參考了其他國家的監管條例和方法，例如澳洲, 新加坡, 還有香港的香港中醫藥管理委員會。

(中文翻譯僅供參考, 如與英文文意有出入, 則以英文版本為準)