Virginia Regulatory Town Hall

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Action:
Regulatory reform changes
Stage: Fast-Track
 
18VAC85-110-50

Part II
Requirements for Licensure

18VAC85-110-50. Educational requirements: graduates of approved institutions or programs in the United States.

A. Requirements for acupuncture education obtained prior to July 1, 1990, shall be as provided in this subsection.

1. An applicant applying for licensure to practice as an acupuncturist on the basis of successful completion of education in a school or college of acupuncture accredited by the ACAOM or other accrediting agencies approved by the Board of Medicine, which confers a degree or certificate in acupuncture in the United States, shall submit evidence of successful completion of an acupuncture course of study in an accredited school or college for acupuncture, providing evidence of not less than 1,000 hours of schooling in not less than a continuous 18-month period.

2. The studies shall include not less than 700 didactic hours and not less than 250 clinical hours. Additional hours may be in either didactic or clinical hours based upon the school or college curriculum.

B. Requirements for acupuncture education obtained after July 1, 1990, shall be as provided in this subsection.

An applicant applying for licensure to practice as a licensed acupuncturist on the basis of successful completion of education in a school or college for acupuncture accredited by ACAOM or any other accrediting agency approved by the Board of Medicine, which confers a degree or certificate in acupuncture in the United States, shall submit evidence of having a minimum of three academic years in length equivalent to 90 semester credit hours or 135 quarter credit hours.

One academic year means full-time study completed in three four quarters, two semesters, or three trimesters. A full-time continuous study program shall be a concentrated educational process in acupuncture which that requires individual study with assigned materials in a classroom or clinical setting.

C. Requirements for acupuncture education obtained after July 1, 1999, shall be as provided in this subsection. An applicant applying for licensure to practice as a licensed acupuncturist on the basis of successful completion of education in a school or college for acupuncture accredited by ACAOM or any other accrediting agency approved by the Board of Medicine, which confers a degree or certificate in acupuncture in the United States, shall submit evidence of having a minimum of 1,725 hours of entry-level acupuncture education to include at least 1,000 didactic hours and 500 clinical hours. Clinical hours may include observation, as well as internship or treatment hours; the remaining 225 hours may be earned as either didactic or clinical. Correspondence programs or courses in acupuncture are excluded and do not may not be used to meet the requirements for acupuncture education.

D. Requirements for acupuncture education obtained after February 1, 2011, shall be as provided in this subsection. An applicant applying for licensure to practice as a licensed acupuncturist on the basis of successful completion of education in a school or college for acupuncture accredited by ACAOM or any other accrediting agency approved by the Board of Medicine, which confers a degree or certificate in acupuncture in the United States, shall submit evidence of having a minimum of 1,905 hours of entry-level acupuncture education to include at least 1,155 didactic hours and 660 clinical hours. Clinical hours may include observation, as well as internship or treatment hours; the remaining 90 hours may be earned as either didactic or clinical hours. Correspondence programs or courses in acupuncture are excluded and may not be used to meet the requirements for acupuncture education.

D. E. An applicant from an acupuncture program in a school or college that has achieved candidacy status for accreditation by ACAOM shall be eligible for licensure provided the program has subsequently been granted accreditation within three years of the applicant's graduation.

18VAC85-110-60

18VAC85-110-60. Requirements of foreign graduates of nonaccredited educational programs in acupuncture.

A. An applicant who has completed an educational course of study in a school or college outside the United States or Canada that is not accredited by ACAOM or any other board-approved accrediting agency shall:

1. Submit a transcript from his educational course of study in acupuncture to a credential evaluation service approved by the board to determine equivalency in education and training to that required in 18VAC85-110-50.

2. Meet the examination requirements as prescribed in 18VAC85-110-80 and 18VAC85-110-90.

B. All documents submitted to the board which are not in English must be translated into English and certified by the embassy of the issuing government or by a translating service.

18VAC85-110-130

18VAC85-110-130. Maintenance of patient records. (Repealed.)

A licensed acupuncturist shall maintain records of his diagnosis and treatment, and the patient's response to acupuncture and shall submit records to the board upon request, unless release of subject records is otherwise prohibited by law. Failure to maintain patient records of those patients treated with acupuncture or failure to respond to the board's request for patient records within 30 days shall be grounds for suspension or revocation of a license to practice acupuncture.