Legislation regulating the practice of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) received Royal Assent on December 20, 2006 and specific sections of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Act, 2006 are now law in Ontario. Traditional Chinese medicine is a holistic system of health care that originated in China several thousand years ago. Therapies include acupuncture, herbal therapy, tuina massage, and therapeutic exercise. TCM views the body as a whole and addresses how illness manifests itself in a patient and assesses and treats the whole patient, not just the specific disorder. TCM is the first new health profession to be regulated in the province since 1991 and the second in Canada after British Columbia. As a result of the new law : A self-governing profession will be created with the authority to set standards of practice and entry to practice requirements for the profession. A new, self-financing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of Ontario will be established, with the mandate of ensuring that the profession is regulated in the interest of the public. The scope of practice and titles that may be used by certain members of the profession have been defined. The performance of acupuncture will be restricted to members of the new College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of Ontario, members of certain other regulated health professions and if acupuncture is performed as part of an addiction treatment program and the person performs the acupuncture within a health facility. Resources 2005 July 29, 2005 News release : McGuinty Government Regulating Traditional Chinese Medicine (with links to backgrounder & testimonial backgrounder) July 29, 2005 TCM Report Executive Summary (with link to full report) First Reading December 7, 2005 News Release (with links to backgrounder & testimonial backgrounder) December 7, 2005 Minister’s statement (Legislative Assembly website) 2006 Second Reading Sept./Oct. 2006 Debates (Legislative Assembly website) October 24, 2006 News Release Oct./Nov. 2006 Standing Committee on Social Policy (Legislative Assembly website) Third Reading November 15, 2006 Order to 3rd Reading (Legislative Assembly website) November 23, 2006 Debate (Legislative Assembly website) November 23, 2006 News Release Royal Assent December 20, 2006 Royal Assent (Legislative Assembly website) December 20, 2006 Royal Assent News Release December 20, 2006 News Release 2006 Explanatory Note on the Act 2006 Traditional Chinese Medicine Act, 2006 (Legislative Assembly website - includes complementary amendments) 2006 Traditional Chinese Medicine Act, 2006 link to Act on e-laws (does not include complementary amendments) May 5, 2007 College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of Ontario Apply for the position of Transitional Registrar / Apply to be a member of the Transitional Council