Acupuncture continuing education requirements have changed within Texas and the proposed changes to California requirements have not been implemented yet. However, the NCCAOM (National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine) has announced a special cooperative agreement for licensed acupuncturists in California. Let’s take a look at the changes.
In Texas, the new compliance requirements for acupuncture continuing education by the Texas State Board of Acupuncture Examiners adds an entirely new category plus changes to hourly requirements. The 17 CAE (continuing acupuncture education) annual requirement total remains the same; however, the individual requirements are different. The Texas board rules now require the following annually:
- 4 hours general acupuncture therapies
- 2 hours ethics and safety
- 3 hours herbology
- 2 hours biomedicine
- 2 hours business practices or office administration
To learn more and to gain access to courses meeting the new criteria, visit the following:
In California, the new ethics requirement has not been implemented. We contacted the California Acupuncture Board (CAB) and they noted that all licensed acupuncturists within the state will be notified prior to implementation. In related news, the California Acupuncture Board will be utilizing the NCCAOM examinations as a requirement for licensure in the near future. Licensed acupuncturists that already have a California acupuncture license will not need to take the NCCAOM exams; this only applies to new candidates. However, the NCCAOM is offering a special program for a limited time.
Starting in February 2019 and ending in December 2020, the NCCAOM is offering a time-limited route for NCCAOM certification for all licensed acupuncturists in California that have active licensure prior to December 2016. Active California licensed acupuncturists will need to complete the NCCAOM Reciprocal Certification Application, pay the $750 fee, and document completion of the Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (CCAOM) Clean Needle Technique (CNT) program within the last six years. If over six years, California licensed acupuncturists can take the CCAOM CNT and Blood Borne Pathogen Review course and submit the documentation with the application.
This opportunity allows licensed acupuncturists in California to have full across acupuncture, herbal medicine, and biomedicine without needing to take the individual exams. This allows acupuncturists without prior NCCAOM certification or those with a Diplomate of Acupuncture (Dipl. Ac.) or Diplomate in Chinese Herbology (Dipl. C.H.) to upgrade to a Diplomate in Oriental Medicine (Dipl. O.M.). After certification, licensed acupuncturists are required to recertify with the NCCAOM every four years, including fulfillment of all acupuncture continuing education requirements.
A CEU (continuing education unit) in the California acupuncture system is equivalent to a PDA (professional development activity) unit in the NCCAOM system. In California, licensed acupuncturists will need to continue fulfilling the 50 CEU requirement every two years. The CEUs may be applied toward the the NCCAOM 60 PDA requirement every four years, as long as the California Acupuncture Board CEUs are also approved by the NCCAOM for PDAs. At the Healthcare Medicine Institute (HealthCMi), all courses are both California CEU and NCCAOM PDA approved plus many other state, national, and international certifications.
The NCCAOM has additional requirements that California licensed acupuncturists must adhere to in order to maintain NCCAOM certification. There is a two PDA ethics and a two PDA safety requirement, plus a CPR education requirement. To gain access to courses meeting both California acupuncture CEU requirements and NCCAOM PDA safety, ethics, and CPR requirements, visit the following:
