ABSTRACT
Statutes in New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, and the Northern Territory stipulate that only biomedical physicians can ‘practice medicine’ (Weir, 2000b:27). Conversely, Queensland and Victoria do not prohibit biomedical practice by unregistered individuals. Aside from chiropractors and osteopaths who hold statutory registration in all Australian states and territories – and acupuncturists and Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners who obtained statutory recognition in Victoria in 2000 – all other complementary medicine practitioners have to date not obtained statutory registration elsewhere in Australia, even though many of them would like to have it. Many complementary medicine practitioners deny that they diagnose lest they be charged with ‘practicing medicine’ (Weir, 2000b:29). Conversely, complementary medicine practitioners are regarded to constitute ‘health service providers in health rights complaints legislation in all states and territories except South Australia’ (Weir, 2000b:32). Some complementary medicine groups have not been able to create a self-regulatory system that has broad support of its various associations and practitioners (Carlton & Bensoussan, 2002:22). This situation permits practitioners with minimal or no formal training to establish clinics and use the titles of a particular complementary medicine group.
