Evidence Based Acupuncture – 24th April 2024
Evidence Based Acupuncture www.evidencebasedacupuncture.org may well be familiar to you. If not, please do have a look at their website. They have pulled together the wonderful reviews of the evidence base started in 2010 by the Australian Dept of Veteran Affairs, then 2014 by the US dept of Veteran Affairs and latterly by John McDonald and Stephen Janz of the Acupuncture Evidence Project 2017 and the documents are written for the public, practitioners and policy makers.
They will giving an online presentation “Accessible Ways to Bring Research Into Your Clinical Practice” for us on 24th April, 7pm to 8pm. This will be recorded. It will be badged as a BAF event, and the recording will be on the EBA website as well as available to our members.
The presentation is by Dr Lara McLure who teaches research at the Northern College of Acupuncture for both the BSc and MSc programmes. I have asked her to consider how to embed research into our practice (for busy practitioners) so how to make the most use of the underpinning research effectively and efficiently. All are welcome and the event is free. EBA will also offer a discount to our members for membership to their forum ($49 instead of $79).
Evidence Based Acupuncture was created to show the current state of knowledge about acupuncture, using the language of science. EBA is a community run project providing simple, trustworthy and robust evidence-based tools that will empower acupuncturists and acupuncture as equal among medicines, improving public health and saving lives. This event is free and will be recorded, but members will need to register here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Letter and Petition needs URGENT action – 3rd August 2023
There has been a proposed change to the CNH1 which is part of the National Occupational Standards (NOS) for complementary therapists. There are two main standards in the NOS which are CNH1 and CNH2. There are then sub standards in categories such as acupuncture. The proposed change is similar to what has happened in the PSA in that they wish to insert “Comply with the Advertising Standards Authority Non-Broadcast Code of Advertising and section 4 of the Cancer Act 1939”. Whilst we are happy to comply with the law and not mislead clients in advertising we do not wish to be gagged or told what we can say or not say buy a private company who has no expertise in our field and who has questionable funding from big pharma, food, etc.
Should this change be made; it would mean that to be deemed ‘competent’ a practitioner in ANY discipline would need their promotion and advertising not to adhere to the law directly but to an interpretation of the law made by a voluntary code defined and controlled by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
At the choosing of the ASA, this change can have a significant impact on your ability to advertise your services, obtain insurance, obtain a Special Treatment Licence, or defend yourself in court.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is a private company financed by a voluntary levy on advertising. It is not regulated and has no government oversight. The ASA is free to change its’ interpretation without consultation or input from the profession.