Chinese Medicine Sydney
Government Policy
The New South Wales government has sought to regulate traditional Chinese medicine practice. On 23 October 2002, the New South Wales Chief Health officer released a discussion paper on alternative medicines. However, traditional Chinese medicine is not currently subject to regulation. The reason for this is that the government believes that industry self-regulation is likely to be more successful and less intrusive in the longer term. The large Chinese community in Sydney and surrounding suburbs also means that there is a large clientele base that encourages practitioners to follow industry best practice Nevertheless, practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine practices are required to adhere to the state government’s professional health.
Government Bodies for Traditional Chinese Medicine
There are presently no government bodies for traditional Chinese medicine in New South Wales or Sydney. However, there are a number of university-based centres that focus on traditional Chinese medicine.
The University of Sydney and Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou have established a joint venture called the Australia-China Centre for Research in Chinese Medicines. The centre will be based at the University of Sydney.
The New South Wales government has also recently announced a joint chair of traditional Chinese medicine at the University of Western Sydney and the University of Sydney. The intention of this position is to further collaboration between Sydney and China on traditional Chinese medicine and to encourage academic learning on the subject area.
The university-based centres are likely to promote community understanding of traditional Chinese medicine, as well as furthering scientific research into the benefits of traditional Chinese medicine.
National Coordination Body in Sydney
The National Institute of Complementary Medicine has recently announced a series of initiatives in Sydney and New South Wales. One of the most important initiatives has been the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. This memorandum will promote scientific research into traditional Chinese medicine at the University of Western Sydney.
In addition, the National Institute of Complementary Medicine has established a collaborative centre for traditional Chinese medicine at the University of Sydney, in conjunction with the University of Western Sydney and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Melbourne.
Advisory Committees
Advisory committees on traditional Chinese medicine are available at the University of Sydney and the University of Western Sydney. The purpose of these advisory committees is to promote research on traditional Chinese medicine, as well as to provide public advice on its use and benefits. Information concerning these advisory committees and associated publications is available through their websites.
Regulation of Herbal Medicines
While traditional Chinese medicine is not regulated in Sydney or New South Wales, herbal medicines that may be used by traditional Chinese medicine is regulated by the Commonwealth Therapeutic Goods Administration.
Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Sydney
Traditional Chinese medicine in Sydney is headed by the Sydney Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The institute has been established for twenty-one years and provides an advanced diploma of traditional Chinese medicine to eligible students. The Sydney Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine has students from across South East Asia and has established a strong reputation for excellence in teaching and student skill development.
The institute’s advanced diploma of traditional Chinese medicine is a four year course, while its diploma of traditional Chinese medicine remedial massage is a two year course.
Recent News
Traditional Chinese medicine has featured prominently in recent news reports due to the fact that between fifty and seventy-five per cent of Sydney’s population uses some form of complementary medicine, including traditional Chinese medicine. The reason for this popularity is that traditional Chinese medicine has been shown to be effective for the treatment of:
- Skin disorders;
- Fatigue
- Allergies
- Infertility
- Fluid retention
- Impotence
- Anxiety
- Depressions; and
- Constipation
One of the consequences of the popularity of traditional Chinese medicine is that it has promoted the establishment of collaborative ventures between Australian and Chinese universities on the teaching of, and research on, traditional Chinese medicine.
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