What is Required to Practice Acupuncture in Washington?
In 1985 the Washington State Legislature passed a bill authorizing the licensing of
acupuncturists. Like all medical professionals practicing in Washington, acupuncturists
are monitored by the Washington State Department of Health. Licensure requires
graduation from an accredited Traditional Chinese Medicine college and passage of the
national board exams given by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture
and Oriental Medicine. Practitioners who accept medical insurance such as Monica
Legatt carry comprehensive malpractice insurance and adhere to The Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules.
In April of 2010 Governor Christine Gregoire signed into law SSB
6280 "Concerning East Asian Medicine" changing the licensure of Licensed
Acupuncturist to East Asian Medicine Practitioner. This new law was the
first major update to the statute which governs the practice of Acupuncture
and related modalities since the first law was passed in 1985.
This new legislation is important for several reasons:
-The new title, East Asian Medicine Practitioner (EAMP)
and scope of practice now clearly states that our practice is
based on a comprehensive system of medicine. Prior to the
recent legislation this was not clear: the title and scope mainly
reflected the single modality of acupuncture.
-The scope of practice now clearly includes herbal medicine,
vitamins, minerals and dietary supplements, not just "dietary
advice," which can now be practiced as a stand alone modality
(Dietary Advice was previously allowed only when in
conjunction with an Acupuncture treatment). A practitioner can
now focus their practice on herbs and nutrition independent of
acupuncture if they wish.
-Practitioners can now provide health education, a.k.a. lifestyle
advice, relaxation training (meditation) and East Asian exercise
training such as Qi Gong and Tai Qi.
-Practitioners can now do additional forms of massage such as
Tui Na and Acupressure.
To learn more or make an appointment, please call 206-625-1374.