Official Submission: English version. Chinese reference translation attached for information.
英文版本为正式提交文件。 附参考中文译本。
Open Letter: Calling on the BC Ministry of Health and CCHPBC to Fulfil Their Statutory Duties and Safeguard British Columbians’ Health and Well-Being and the TCM Profession’s Rights and Interests
Issued by: Canadian Traditional Chinese Medicine Development Alliance (CTCMDA)
Date: October 2, 2026
To: BC Ministry of Health; College of Complementary Health Professionals of British Columbia (CCHPBC); All British Columbia Political Party Caucuses
Dear Minister of Health, CCHPBC Board and Executive Team, and Leaders of All British Columbia’s Political Parties,
With this open letter, the Canadian Traditional Chinese Medicine Development Alliance (CTCMDA) writes to express grave concern about the severe practical challenges facing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and public health two years after the former College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of British Columbia (CTCMA) was amalgamated under the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA). As British Columbia approaches a critical provincial election, Acupuncturists, TCM practitioners and hundreds of thousands of community voters from diverse backgrounds are closely watching where each political party stands. We call on all parties to recognize TCM’s place in the province’s history and multicultural life, confront the urgent public safety concerns outlined below, and respond to voters’ calls for action. British Columbians’ health and a TCM practice system shaped by more than a century of history and over 30 years of statutory regulation are at stake.
As part of the HPOA reforms, CTCMA was formally amalgamated into the College of
Complementary Health Professionals of British Columbia (CCHPBC) in 2024. At the time, the government committed to unifying regulatory structures, strengthening public protection,
improving administrative efficiency, and fully respecting the distinct practice characteristics and sector-specific needs of each health profession.
Two years later, some outcomes in TCM and Acupuncture regulation stand in sharp contrast to those original commitments. Between 2024 and 2026, the regulator and the Ministry of Health have repeatedly received feedback and policy proposals from TCM and Acupuncture associations and frontline TCM practitioners and Acupuncturists. Yet concerns bearing on public safety have gone without a substantive response, and serious public health risks flagged by the profession remain unresolved. Under the amalgamated regulatory structure, the TCM profession remains marginalized; revisions to the regulatory framework have steadily
weakened its distinct body of knowledge.
The most pressing safety concern is the removal of the prescribing, compounding and
dispensing of Chinese herbal formulas from the list of restricted activities. This has created a real and urgent gap in public protection. Following this regulatory change, individuals without systematic TCM education or a professional license are no longer prohibited by law from
prescribing or dispensing Chinese herbal medicine. Members of the public may therefore obtain herbal prescriptions from unqualified individuals. The legal safeguards built over decades to protect British Columbians have been directly undermined.
In addition, many registered TCM practitioners across the province report that, since
amalgamation, work on TCM and Acupuncture policy has stalled and, in some areas, moved backwards. English-language proficiency requirements have created new barriers to practice. Regulatory definitions previously aligned with World Health Organization (WHO) international terminology standards for TCM have been progressively weakened. Ambiguous scope-of-
practice provisions leave practitioners uncertain about the boundaries of their daily practice. These developments have seriously damaged confidence within the profession and indirectly affect British Columbians’ access to stable, high-quality TCM care.
In view of the foregoing, CTCMDA puts forward three parallel core demands to the Ministry of Health, CCHPBC and all political parties. TCM practitioners and community voters will use these demands to assess each party’s position:
Demand 1: Within the HPOA legislative framework, preserve the effective TCM-specific regulations that existed before amalgamation.
The Ministry of Health and CCHPBC must address the safety gap created by removing herbal prescribing from the list of restricted activities. Prescribing, compounding and dispensing Chinese herbal formulas based on a TCM diagnosis must again be designated as restricted activities. Only fully trained, registered TCM practitioners with comprehensive education and the required registration should be permitted to perform these high-risk clinical activities, protecting British Columbians from harm associated with unregulated herbal treatment.
Demand 2: CCHPBC must fulfil its statutory responsibilities and establish an independent TCM professional advisory committee with meaningful decision-making authority.
The committee should include frontline TCM clinicians, TCM educators, and community and professional representatives in the revision of regulations and practice standards. Regulatory policy must
fully respect TCM’s complete theoretical framework and align with WHO international TCM and Acupuncture standards. It must not simply import rules from other complementary health professions or strip away distinctive TCM clinical practices. CCHPBC must conduct a formal
review two years after amalgamation, publish a standalone public report on TCM regulation, and respond directly to longstanding practitioner and community concerns.
Demand 3: All political parties must exercise legislative oversight and listen to TCM
practitioners, Acupuncturists and community voters. During this provincial election period,
practitioners and community supporters will closely examine each party’s policies and public commitments. Their willingness to face these documented problems and pursue practical solutions will be an important measure by which practitioners and voters assess their
positions.
The fundamental purpose of regulatory reform is to protect the public interest. Amalgamation under the HPOA must not come at the cost of eroding the professional integrity of a mature,
statutorily regulated health profession, nor at the cost of British Columbians’ safety when using herbal medicine. We expect the Ministry of Health and CCHPBC to stop avoiding these serious concerns, convene genuine and thorough consultations with affected parties, and deliver a plan that can be put into action.
CTCMDA calls on the BC Ministry of Health and CCHPBC to respond directly to all the concerns set out above, provide a clear and workable plan, identify who is responsible for each step, and set a specific timetable for action. Practitioners and communities will not accept vague assurances: they need visible action and progress that can be tracked and assessed.
TCM’s history in British Columbia is closely tied to the province’s development and Canada’s
early history. More than 150 years ago, during the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, Chinese labourers travelled across oceans to help develop British Columbia. TCM, Herbal
Medicine, and Acupuncture arrived on Canada’s West Coast alongside these workers, delivering medical care to labourers. Contemporary British Columbia stands on the traditional territories of Indigenous peoples who have lived here since time immemorial, and it also owes much to the immense sacrifices and contributions of Chinese railway workers. This history marks TCM’s roots in Canada and its foundational contribution to the building of the province. At election time, political parties should respect that history, cherish the province’s multicultural foundations, and fully recognize TCM’s importance to its multicultural communities.
British Columbia established the independent College of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Practitioners and Acupuncturists of British Columbia (CTCMA) in 1996, Canada’s first statutory regulator for fully regulated TCM and acupuncture. It developed a regulatory framework suited to the profession’s distinct body of knowledge. Today, more than 2,000 registered TCM and
acupuncture practitioners in the province provide more than 10 million patient visits annually. They offer accessible, affordable integrative health services to people from diverse backgrounds and are an indispensable part of British Columbia’s health-care landscape.
Respectfully submitted,
Prof. Rong-Gang Li (PhD)
Chair of Canadian Traditional Chinese Medicine Development Alliance (CTCMDA)
附中文版：
发文单位：加拿大中医发展联盟（CTCMDA）日期：2026 年 10 月 2日
致：卑诗省卫生厅、卑诗省辅助保健专业人员监管局（CCHPBC）、卑诗省各政党党团
尊敬的卫生厅厅长、CCHPBC 、卑诗省各政党党团：
加拿大中医发展联盟谨以此公开信，就原卑诗省中医针灸管理局（CTCMA）依据《卫生专业与职业法案》（HPOA）完成机构合并两年来，中医药针灸行业发展与公共健康层面凸显的严峻现实困境，向省政府、监管机构CCHPBC以及卑诗省各政党党团郑重陈情。当前正值卑诗省大选关键窗口期，广大中医药针灸从业者与数十万各族裔社区选民高度关注各政党的立场选择。恳请各政党党团必须高度重视中医药针灸在本省的历史定位、多元文化价值以及迫在眉睫的公共安全隐 患，直面选民诉求、回应选民期待，共同守护卑诗省全体民众的健康权益，守护历经百年历史积淀、三十余年规范化立法建设而成的中医药执业体系。
按照《卫生专业与职业法案》（HPOA）改革部署，CTCMA 于 2024 年正式并入卑诗省辅助保健专业人员监管局 CCHPBC。彼时政府作出明确改革承诺：统一监管架构、强化公众保护效能、提升行政运行效率，充分尊重每一类卫生专业独有的执业特征与行业需求。
但历经两年实际运行，中医药针灸监管领域的部分改革成效与当初的政策承诺背道而驰。自 2024
至 2026 年，监管机构与省卫生厅多次收到来自中医药针灸行业协会、一线临床医师的反馈与政策建议，然而这些关乎公众安全的合理诉求长期得不到实质性回应，已经预警的重大公众健康风险始终悬而未决，没有得到充分处置。在合并后的统一监管体系之下，中医药针灸专业持续被边缘化；中医药独有的学科特质与，在制度修订过程中不断被消解弱化。 其中最为突出的安全隐患在于：中药方剂的处方，调制，配药被移出受限活动（Restricted Activities）清单，由此产生真实且紧迫的公共安全漏洞。法规调整之后，未接受系统中医药教育、不持有执业牌照的社会人员，法律层面不再被禁止开展中药开方与配药业务。普通民众有可能从无资质人员手中获取中药处方，数十年以来为保护本省民众建立的法律安全防护屏障遭到直接破坏。
与此同时，本省大量注册中医师与针灸师反馈：机构合并后，中医药针灸相关政策不仅推进停滞，部分领域甚至出现倒退；英语水平门槛形成新的执业语言壁垒；原有对标世界卫生组织
（WHO）中医药国际术语标准的监管定义不断被弱化；执业范围相关条文表述模糊，广大执业医师对日常执业边界心存疑惑，严重挫伤行业从业信心，也间接影响全省民众获取稳定、高质量的中医医疗服务。
面对上述现实问题，加拿大中医发展联盟（CTCMDA）向卑诗省卫生厅、CCHPBC 以及全省各政党，郑重、清晰提出三项并列核心诉求，这也是广大中医药选民衡量各政党态度的核心标尺：
诉求一：在 HPOA 框架下，维持不改变管理局合并前，行之有效的中医法律规范
（Regulation）。卫生厅及 CCHPBC 必须正视中药处方权被移出受限活动所造成的安全缺口，将基于中医诊断开展的中药方剂的处方，调制，配药重新纳入法定受限活动范畴，明确规定仅完成完整系统化教育、取得注册执业资质的中医药从业者，方可开展此类高风险医疗活动，保护全省民众免受非规范中药诊疗带来的健康伤害。
诉求二：CCHPBC 切实履行法定监管职责，设立拥有实质决策权的独立中医药专业咨询委员 会。 咨询委员会应当吸纳一线中医临床医师、中医药教育专家、社区行业代表深度参与规章条文、执业标准的修订工作。监管制度设计必须充分尊重中医药针灸完整理论体系，对标世界卫生
组织（WHO）中医药国际标准，杜绝直接照搬其他辅助医疗行业规则，简单裁剪中医药特色临床实践。监管局需开展机构合并两周年专项复盘评估，面向全社会发布中医药板块专项运行报告，正面回应从业者与社区长期关切的各类问题。
诉求三：各政党切实履行议会监督职能，认真倾听中医药行业及广大社区选民的呼声。 当前正值省选周期，中医药针灸从业群体以及热心中医药事业的社会各界选民，将持续密切关注各政党的政策立场与公开承诺。各政党是否愿意正视上述问题并推动实际解决，将成为相关从业者与社区选民评估其政策立场的重要依据。
监管改革的根本出发点与终极目标，始终是维护公众利益。在 HPOA 改革框架下开展的机构合 并，绝不能以牺牲一套成熟法定卫生职业的专业属性为代价，更不能牺牲本省民众的用药安全。我们期待省卫生厅与 CCHPBC 不再回避行业与社区的重大关切，组织真诚、充分的多方利益相关方磋商，出台具备可落地性的行动方案。
加拿大中医发展联盟明确要求：省卫生厅与 CCHPBC 必须正面回应上述全部关切，给出清晰可执行的处理方案、明确责任分工以及具体行动时间表，落地能够真正化解问题的多方磋商。业界与社区拒绝空泛表态，需要看得见的实际行动，以及可追踪、可检验的实质进展。
回望本省历史，中医药的发展与加拿大建国、卑诗省建省的进程紧密相连。一百五十多年前太平洋铁路修建时期，华工远渡重洋奔赴不列颠哥伦比亚，投身本省开发与横贯大陆太平洋铁路建 设，中医药也随之落地加拿大西海岸，为劳作的华工提供医疗救护。加拿大与不列颠哥伦比亚的发展，根植于原住民世代繁衍生息的土地，也离不开铁路华工的巨大奉献与牺牲，太平洋铁路的建成即是最好的历史见证。这既是中医药扎根加拿大的历史起点，也是中医药为国家与卑诗省建设作出的原始贡献。大选之际，各政党理应尊重这段客观史实，珍视本省多元文化根基，充分认可中医药作为多元文化重要载体的社会地位。
卑诗省于 1996 年设立独立的中医针灸管理局 CTCMA，是加拿大首个实现中医、针灸完整立法监管的专业机构，构建起一套契合中医药学科内在发展规律的监管框架。全省在册注册中医针灸从业者共 2000 多人，每年服务接诊量超 1000 多万人次，为本省各族裔民众提供可负担的整合式医疗服务，是不列颠哥伦比亚省公共健康体系中不可或缺的重要组成部分。
此致 敬礼
加拿大中医发展联盟 CTCMDA 主席：李荣刚 教授/博士
