Acupuncture Practice (including Moxibustion) - Update

SMC'S CLARIFICATION TO ANNOUNCEMENT MADE ON 27 DECEMBER 2012 ON ACUPUNCTURE PRACTICE (INCLUDING MOXIBUSTION)

1. The Singapore Medical Council (SMC) has received enquiries regarding the announcement made on 27 December 2012 and would thus like to clarify as follows:

2. As the SMC supports only the "needle form" of acupuncture, SMC-registered medical practitioners who are also registered with the Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners Board (TCMPB), should perform only the "needle-form" of acupuncture when treating a patient in their capacity as a SMC-registered medical practitioner.

3. No SMC-registered medical practitioner should implicitly or otherwise represent that acupuncture, save for the "needle-form", is approved by the SMC. This approach is in accordance with the SMC's Ethical Code and Ethical Guidelines including but not limited to Articles 4.1.3 [Prescription of medicine], 4.1.4 [Untested practices and clinical trials] and 4.1.5 [Association with complementary medicine practitioners].

4. For the avoidance of doubt, the practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and the regulation thereof are under the purview of the TCMPB.

5. Please contact the SMC Secretariat at 

   Enquiries@smc.gov.sg

    should you need further clarification