Was A case in point; now herbal licensure and buying herbs online

[Guest guest]

I agree the ability of patients to purchase herbs on the internet is indeed a

problem. Just last week, I was astounded to learn a patient of mine told me she

purchased refills of her Kan formulas online from some website. Even though Kan

and other companies I deal with do not sell their products directly to patients,

other people are more than happy to purchase them in bulk and sell herbal

formulas directly to anyone at a reduced cost, no questions asked and no

accountability held for patient safety. Then there is also the problem of

health food stores making Chinese herbal formulas available - displaying them on

shelves where anyone can get them, without even asking questions about their

appropriateness for their condition. We have seen in the last couple of years

how herbal regulation can harm us, as specific medicinals have become banned in

the US, yet it also seems that there is a need for some regulation that could

ensure greater safety for those who use herbs, by

making them available only through licensed professionals. I don't think a

specialty board certification would fulfill this need. Anyone have thoughts on

this?

 

 

 

 

anne.crowley wrote:

Then - the other side of the coin are the unlicensed professionals - that can do

whatever they want basically - buy lasers, creating weight loss and smoking

programs, hit cookbook acupuncture points - and whala, they are in business. No

regulation, no certifying boards. There is talk of more regulation on

acupuncturists for dispensing herbs, when a patient can buy them off the

internet, no problem. I wouldn't make it harder to be an acupuncturist given

the arena we are in.

 

Anne

 

 

-------------- Original message ----------------------

" "

> If you were correct,

> Then we'd have to certify every practitioner who treats a major

> autoimmune, gynecological or infectious disorder. This is a

> pandora's box you are opening. If legally we can only treat patients

> with specific disorders by certification, it will kill the

> profession, or make us into understudy therapists. I agree that we

> need to study and be aware of as many autoimmune disorders as

> possible, and experience is important, but to require certification

> for each condition is just an absurd idea, in my opinion.

>

> I don't think that herbal medicine and acupuncture has to

> specifically be aimed at biomedical diseases in all cases. We treat

> the patterns/symptom complexes that the patients present to us. Any

> biomedical condition needs to be reframed into the logic of Chinese

> medicine for us to treat it. We treat primarily the patient with the

> disease. I support the development of specialties, such as

> pediatrics, gynecology, or autoimmune disorders. What this includes

> is biomedical data on these conditions. But this is just the

> beginning. Our diagnosis and treatment strategies do not depend on

> this data exclusively. The biomedical disease data gives us a sense

> of pathomechanisms of disease

>

>

> On Sep 9, 2007, at 9:43 PM, Yangchu Higgins wrote:

>

> > At this time, I cannot feel comfortable referring an

> > acupuncturist without VHKC (VHK certification). MDs

> > just won't take it seriously and what about the FDA?

> >

> > Yes. You've introduced an important gap in

> > integrating with biomedicine. We'll need to convene a

> > convention or something... at least a meeting. We

> > need VHKC as soon as possible.

> >

> > y.c.

> > vytalpathways.com

> >

> >

> > ________

> > Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers from someone

> > who knows. Answers - Check it out.

> > http://answers./dir/?link=list & sid=396545469

> >

> >

>

>

> Chair, Department of Herbal Medicine

> Pacific College of Oriental Medicine

> San Diego, Ca. 92122

 

[Guest guest]

AB:

i'm with you on this. but it's another divisive issue, from what i've heard

in previous discussions on the subject. some are for regulation, for reasons

you mention, and others vehemently against it. i this one is a done the

road item as we do not begin to have any kind of a concensus on the matter,

as a profession.

 

kb

 

 

On 9/11/07, < wrote:

>

> I agree the ability of patients to purchase herbs on the internet is

> indeed a problem. Just last week, I was astounded to learn a patient of mine

> told me she purchased refills of her Kan formulas online from some website.

> Even though Kan and other companies I deal with do not sell their products

> directly to patients, other people are more than happy to purchase them in

> bulk and sell herbal formulas directly to anyone at a reduced cost, no

> questions asked and no accountability held for patient safety. Then there is

> also the problem of health food stores making Chinese herbal formulas

> available - displaying them on shelves where anyone can get them, without

> even asking questions about their appropriateness for their condition. We

> have seen in the last couple of years how herbal regulation can harm us, as

> specific medicinals have become banned in the US, yet it also seems that

> there is a need for some regulation that could ensure greater safety for

> those who use herbs, by

> making them available only through licensed professionals. I don't think a

> specialty board certification would fulfill this need. Anyone have thoughts

> on this?

>

>

>

> anne.crowley <anne.crowley%40comcast.net> wrote:

> Then - the other side of the coin are the unlicensed professionals - that

> can do whatever they want basically - buy lasers, creating weight loss and

> smoking programs, hit cookbook acupuncture points - and whala, they are in

> business. No regulation, no certifying boards. There is talk of more

> regulation on acupuncturists for dispensing herbs, when a patient can buy

> them off the internet, no problem. I wouldn't make it harder to be an

> acupuncturist given the arena we are in.

>

> Anne

>

> -------------- Original message ----------------------

> " "

> > If you were correct,

> > Then we'd have to certify every practitioner who treats a major

> > autoimmune, gynecological or infectious disorder. This is a

> > pandora's box you are opening. If legally we can only treat patients

> > with specific disorders by certification, it will kill the

> > profession, or make us into understudy therapists. I agree that we

> > need to study and be aware of as many autoimmune disorders as

> > possible, and experience is important, but to require certification

> > for each condition is just an absurd idea, in my opinion.

> >

> > I don't think that herbal medicine and acupuncture has to

> > specifically be aimed at biomedical diseases in all cases. We treat

> > the patterns/symptom complexes that the patients present to us. Any

> > biomedical condition needs to be reframed into the logic of Chinese

> > medicine for us to treat it. We treat primarily the patient with the

> > disease. I support the development of specialties, such as

> > pediatrics, gynecology, or autoimmune disorders. What this includes

> > is biomedical data on these conditions. But this is just the

> > beginning. Our diagnosis and treatment strategies do not depend on

> > this data exclusively. The biomedical disease data gives us a sense

> > of pathomechanisms of disease

> >

> >

> > On Sep 9, 2007, at 9:43 PM, Yangchu Higgins wrote:

> >

> > > At this time, I cannot feel comfortable referring an

> > > acupuncturist without VHKC (VHK certification). MDs

> > > just won't take it seriously and what about the FDA?

> > >

> > > Yes. You've introduced an important gap in

> > > integrating with biomedicine. We'll need to convene a

> > > convention or something... at least a meeting. We

> > > need VHKC as soon as possible.

> > >

> > > y.c.

> > > vytalpathways.com

> > >

> > >

> > > ________

> > > Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers from someone

> > > who knows. Answers - Check it out.

> > > http://answers./dir/?link=list & sid=396545469

> > >

> > >

> >

> >

> > Chair, Department of Herbal Medicine

> > Pacific College of Oriental Medicine

> > San Diego, Ca. 92122

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >