Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners (Registration of Traditional Chinese Medicine Physicians and Acupuncturists) Regulations

Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners Act

(Chapter 333A, Sections 14(4) and 38)

Rg 5

G.N. No. S 40/2002

REVISED EDITION 2002

(30th September 2002)

[28th January 2002]

Citation

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners (Registration of Traditional Chinese Medicine Physicians and Acupuncturists) Regulations.

[S 229/2020 wef 01/04/2020]

Definitions

2. In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires —

[Deleted by S 229/2020 wef 01/04/2020]

“acupuncturist” means a person who practices acupuncture;

[S 229/2020 wef 01/04/2020]

“approved foreign qualification in traditional Chinese medicine” means a qualification in traditional Chinese medicine obtained from a foreign traditional Chinese medicine training institution specified in Part II of the Second Schedule or any other qualification from a foreign traditional Chinese medicine training institution that is acceptable to the Board for the purposes of regulation 6(1)(a)(ii);

[S 229/2020 wef 01/04/2020]

“approved local qualification in acupuncture” means a qualification in acupuncture obtained from a local traditional Chinese medicine training institution specified in Part III of the Second Schedule or any other training institution that is acceptable to the Board for the purposes of regulation 6(2)(a);

[S 229/2020 wef 01/04/2020]

“approved local qualification in traditional Chinese medicine” means a qualification in traditional Chinese medicine obtained from a local traditional Chinese medicine training institution specified in Part I of the Second Schedule or any other training institution that is acceptable to the Board for the purposes of regulation 6(1)(a)(i);

[S 229/2020 wef 01/04/2020]

“conditional registration” means a registration subject to such conditions as the Board thinks fit;

“Examinations Committee” means an Examinations Committee referred to in section 27 of the Act;

“traditional Chinese general medicine” means —

(a)	acupuncture;
(b)	the diagnosis, treatment, prevention or alleviation of any disease or any symptom of a disease or the prescription of any herbal medicine on the basis of traditional Chinese medicine; and
(c)	the regulation of the functional states of the human body on the basis of traditional Chinese medicine;

[S 229/2020 wef 01/04/2020]

“traditional Chinese medicine physician” means a person who practises traditional Chinese general medicine.

Credentials Committee

3.—(1) The Board may appoint a committee to be known as the Credentials Committee to assist the Board in dealing with applications for registration as a traditional Chinese medicine physician or an acupuncturist.

[S 229/2020 wef 01/04/2020]

(2) The Credentials Committee shall consist of not less than one member of the Board and such number of other persons as the Board may determine.

(3) The Board shall appoint a member of the Credentials Committee as the Chairman of the Committee.

(4) The term of office of the members and the quorum of the Credentials Committee shall be determined by the Board.

(5) The Board may refer to the Credentials Committee any application for registration and the Committee shall consider such application and recommend to the Board whether —

(a)	the applicant should be granted full or conditional registration, as the case may be; [S 229/2020 wef 01/04/2020]
(b)	the application should be refused; or
(c)	the applicant should be required to sit for and pass a qualifying examination before being granted any type of registration.

(6) For the purpose of making a recommendation under paragraph (5), the Credentials Committee may —

(a)	interview the applicant;
(b)	make inquiries relating to the applicant’s qualifications and practical experience as the Committee thinks necessary; and
(c)	take such other action as the Committee considers necessary.

(7) Upon considering the recommendation of the Credentials Committee, the Board may —

(a)	accept the recommendation of the Committee; or
(b)	refer the matter back to the Committee for further consideration.

Application for registration

4.—(1) An application for registration as a traditional Chinese medicine physician or an acupuncturist under section 14 of the Act shall be made in such form as the Board may provide.

[S 229/2020 wef 01/04/2020]

(2) The application form shall be submitted by the applicant to the Registrar and shall be accompanied by the following:

(a)	a certified true copy of the relevant qualification; [S 229/2020 wef 01/04/2020]
(b)	where applicable, details in writing of the applicant’s practical experience in traditional Chinese general medicine or acupuncture, including details of the nature, duration and extent of the experience in such form as the Board may require; [S 229/2020 wef 01/04/2020]
(c)	where the applicant is required to sit for a qualifying examination, a certified true copy of the certificate issued by the Examinations Committee certifying that the applicant has passed such examination;
(d)	where the applicant is registered to carry out traditional Chinese general medicine or acupuncture in a foreign country, a certified true copy of the certificate of registration of the applicant in that foreign country; [S 229/2020 wef 01/04/2020]
(e)	where applicable, a certificate of good standing from the registration body of a country where the applicant has been registered stating that on the date of issue the applicant is registered as a traditional Chinese medicine physician or acupuncturist in that country and that no proceedings have been taken or are pending against him; [S 229/2020 wef 01/04/2020]
(f)	2 recent passport size photographs of the applicant;
(g)	the fee for the application for registration specified in the First Schedule; and [S 9/2012 wef 01/04/2012]
(h)	such other documents (including any statutory declaration) and information as the Board may require.

(3) Any document referred to in paragraph (2) which is not in English or Chinese shall be accompanied by a certified translation thereof in English or Chinese.

(4) The Registrar may require the applicant to produce such proof of identity as he thinks fit.

5. [Deleted by S 9/2012 wef 01/04/2012]

Full registration

6.—(1) A person may be granted full registration as a traditional Chinese medicine physician if the person —

(a)

has obtained —

(i)	an approved local qualification in traditional Chinese medicine; or
(ii)	an approved foreign qualification in traditional Chinese medicine, and practical experience in any organisation or institution that is acceptable to the Board;

(b)

passes any qualifying examination that the Board requires; and

(c)

is, in the opinion of the Board, a fit and proper person to be granted full registration as a traditional Chinese medicine physician.

(2) A person may be granted full registration as an acupuncturist if the person —

(a)	has obtained an approved local qualification in acupuncture;
(b)	passes any qualifying examination that the Board requires; and
(c)	is, in the opinion of the Board, a fit and proper person to be granted full registration as an acupuncturist.

[S 229/2020 wef 01/04/2020]

Conditional registration

7.—(1) A person may be granted conditional registration if he —

(a)	holds such academic qualification as the Board may determine;
(b)	has been selected for employment in Singapore as a traditional Chinese medicine physician in respect of traditional Chinese general medicine, or an acupuncturist in respect of acupuncture, in an organisation or institution acceptable to the Board; [S 229/2020 wef 01/04/2020]
(c)	satisfies the Board that he has the knowledge and skill and has acquired the experience which is necessary for practice as a traditional Chinese medicine physician in respect of traditional Chinese general medicine, or an acupuncturist in respect of acupuncture; and [S 229/2020 wef 01/04/2020]
(d)	is, in the opinion of the Board, a fit and proper person to be granted conditional registration as a traditional Chinese medicine physician or an acupuncturist. [S 229/2020 wef 01/04/2020]

(2) A conditional registration may be granted for a period not exceeding 3 years.

(3) A person who has been granted conditional registration may apply for renewal of such conditional registration not less than one month before the expiry of the conditional registration.

(4) A person who has been granted conditional registration under this regulation may apply for full registration upon qualifying for such registration under regulation 6.

[S 229/2020 wef 01/04/2020]

8. [Deleted by S 229/2020 wef 01/04/2020]

Courses for qualifying examination

9. Unless the Board otherwise allows, no person shall be entitled to sit for a qualifying examination referred to in regulation 6 unless he has satisfactorily completed such course of training in traditional Chinese medicine for which that person is awarded an approved foreign qualification in traditional Chinese medicine, an approved local qualification in traditional Chinese medicine or an approved local qualification in acupuncture, as the case may be.

[S 229/2020 wef 01/04/2020]

Application to sit for qualifying examination

10.—(1) A person who wishes to sit for a qualifying examination shall make an application to the Examinations Committee in such form as the Board may provide, accompanied by payment of the fee specified in the First Schedule.

(2) The application referred to in paragraph (1) shall be accompanied by a certificate or such other document as the Board may require certifying that the applicant has satisfactorily completed a course of training referred to in regulation 9.

Results of qualifying examination and number of attempts

11.—(1) The Examinations Committee shall notify in writing each person who sits for a qualifying examination as to whether he passed or failed that examination.

(2) A person who is unsuccessful in his first attempt at a qualifying examination may make such further number of attempts to pass the qualifying examination as the Board may allow.

Duplicate of certificate of registration

12.—(1) Where a certificate of registration granted by the Board under section 16 of the Act has been lost, destroyed, defaced or obliterated so that any particulars in such certificate are illegible, the holder thereof shall forthwith notify the Registrar.

(2) Subject to paragraphs (4) and (5), the Registrar shall, on payment of the fee specified in the First Schedule, if he is satisfied that a certificate of registration has been lost, destroyed, defaced or obliterated, issue a duplicate of such certificate to the holder of the original thereof.

(3) A duplicate of a certificate of registration shall have the same effect as the original.

(4) In the case of a certificate of registration which has been defaced or obliterated, no duplicate of such certificate shall be issued unless the original certificate is returned to the Registrar.

(5) In the case of a certificate of registration which has been lost or destroyed, no duplicate of such certificate shall be issued unless the holder thereof makes a statutory declaration of the loss or destruction and furnishes it to the Registrar.

(6) Where any original certificate of registration is found after any duplicate thereof is issued under this regulation, the holder of the certificate shall immediately return the duplicate to the Registrar for cancellation.

(7) Any person who fails to comply with paragraph (6) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000.

13. [Deleted by S 229/2020 wef 01/04/2020]

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