Volume 13 Issue 4
Appointment of Registrar a Major Step in the Development of the
College
TORONTO August 31, 2007 - The McGuinty government
is moving forward with the development of the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of Ontario by appointing Emily
Cheung as the Registrar to provide guidance and support to the Transitional
Council of the College, Health and Long-Term Care Minister George Smitherman announced today.
“I
would like to congratulate Emily Cheung as the new Registrar for the college,”
said Smitherman. “This is a big step forward towards
making Ontario a leader in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and I am
thrilled that Ms. Cheung will guide the new college towards achieving that
goal.”
"This is an important step for promoting
the recognition of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture in Ontario," said Michael Chan, Ministry of Revenue.
"I have tremendous confidence that Ms Cheung's appointment will
lead to a new college that will enhance Ontario's international reputation as an innovative leader
in health care." The Registrar plays an important role in
administering the affairs of the college, including its financial operations
and governance policies.
"The Federation of Health
Regulatory Colleges of Ontario
welcomes the regulation of traditional Chinese medicine and the public
protection that this extends to people in Ontario. We offer
our support to the College and its first Registrar, Emily Cheung,” said Mary
Lou Gignac, President, Federation
of Health Regulatory Colleges of Ontario.
Ms. Cheung has been Registrar of the
College of Dental Technologists of Ontario for the past 14 years, since its
inception in 1993. Ms. Cheung has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and
Business Management from the University of Hong Kong. “I want to thank the
government for this wonderful opportunity to provide guidance and support to the
College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of Ontario,” said Ms. Cheung. “The
College must regulate the practice of traditional Chinese medicine in the
public interest.”
"I support the government's vision
to make Ontario a world class centre for Traditional Chinese
Medicine. Moving forward with the Transitional Registrar who has the experience
to make this College successful is a very positive move. It shows the College
of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture will become a reality in Ontario," said Professor Cedric Cheung, President of
the Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Association of Canada.
The College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of Ontario was established by
the Traditional Chinese Medicine Act, 2006. This college sets and enforces the
standards that regulate the practice of traditional Chinese medicine in Ontario. The Act requires individuals who wish to practice
TCM, practice a specialty of TCM, or call themselves TCM practitioners or
acupuncturists to register and be accountable with the new regulatory college.
Today’s
initiative is part of the McGuinty government’s plan
for innovation in public health care, building a system that delivers on three
priorities – keeping Ontarians healthy, reducing wait times and providing
better access to doctors and nurses.
To
Association:
This
letter is to inform you that several Chinese toothpastes have been analyzed by
Health Canada and found
to be contaminated with diethylene glycol (DEG), a
toxic organic solvent that may cause nausea, dizziness, kidney
failure, breathing problems, convulsions and even coma when ingested. The potential health risks from chronic
exposure to DEG are a particular concern in specific vulnerable populations
such as children and consumers with kidney or liver disease. Please read the attached Heath Canada public
Warning for additional details.
At
this time, Heath Canada is seeking
your voluntary assistance in cooperation in removing these harmful products
from the market at the retail level.
Health Canada Inspectors will be visiting Chinese and discount retail
stores, requesting them to remove contaminated products from their shelves and
will be conducting follow-up visits to confirm that the products are no longer
being sold. A customs alert has been
issued to the Canadian Border Services Agency to stop shipments of toothpaste
from China. Intercepted shipments will not be allowed
into Canada unless the
importer can demonstrate that they are in compliance with the Food and Drugs Act and Regulations.
The
samples that were analyzed by Health Canada were found
on the Canadian market in Chinese food and discount stores across Canada, the
majority being found in Toronto and Vancouver. None of the products that have been
identified by Health Canada have
received market authorization for sale in Canada. Your
Health Canada would like
you to remind your members that all toothpaste for sale in Canada must
comply with Food and Drugs Act and its
Regulations. In Canada,
toothpastes are classified into one of three category types: drugs, natural
health products (NHP’s) or cosmetics. Each of these product types are regulated
under a different set of regulations under the Food and Drugs Act. Whether
a product is classified as drug, NHP or cosmetic depends on the claims as well
as the medicinal ingredients in the product.
Any products making therapeutic claims are not considered to be
cosmetics. Therapeutic claims for
toothpastes may include “anti-caries”, “prevents cavities” etc. These products would be considered as NHPs or drugs depending on their active ingredients. Toothpaste that has been approved for sale in
Canada as a drug
or an NHP will display either an eight digit Drug Identification Number (DIN)
or a Natural Product Number (NPN) on their label. Importers of drugs and NHPs
require an Establishment License or Site Licence to
import these products for sale in Canada. Information on how to comply with the
requirements of the Food and Drugs Act
and Regulations can be found on the
Health Canada website at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ Your assistance in
this important consumer health and safety matter is appreciated. If you have
any questions or require additional information, please contact the Health
Products and Food Branch Inspectorate Operational Centre in your region.
McGuinty Government Announces Registrar of the
College of Traditional Chinese Medicine: Appointment is a Major Step in the
Development of the College
As part of the legislative process the
McGuinty Government on August 31, 2007 announced that they were moving
forward with the development of the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Practitioners
and Acupuncturists of Ontario by appointing Emily Cheung as the Registrar. The Registrar plays a significant role in
administering the affairs of the college, including the financial operations
and governance policies.
Ms. Cheung has a great deal of
experience as she has been the registrar for the Dental Technologists for the
past 14 years, since it’s inception in 1993.
She has the expertise in implementing policy, guiding and providing
support to the Transitional Council of the College, and most of all, she
understands the processes at the grass root level.
CMAAC continues to support the
Government’s vision to make Ontario a world class centre for Traditional
Chinese Medicine. Moving forward with
the Transitional Registrar who has the background and experience to make this
College successful is a major step forward.
In the words of Professor Cedric Cheung, President of CMAAC, “It shows
the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture will become a
reality in Ontario.”
The College of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Practitioners
and Acupuncturists of Ontario was established by the Traditional Chinese
Medicine Act, 2006. The college sets and
enforces the standards that require the practice of Traditional Chinese
medicine in Ontario.
The Act requires individuals who wish to practice TCM or a specialty of
TCM, such as Acupuncture, or call themselves TCM practitioners or
Acupuncturists to register and be licensed with the new regulatory college.
There has been a great deal of
confusion and speculation within the Profession and in the Chinese
Community. Now that the TCM profession
is being regulated and the new College is being founded, a transition time will
occur prior to mandatory enforcement for licensing and those standards for
licensing will be determined, only by the new Transitional College.
However, it should be noted that there is no other organization or
association in Ontario that has the legal mandate to provide
licensing in any form or to authorize examinations for licensing or for the
granting of titles.
As many of you know, there is a
Provincial Election in October. In the
past many of our efforts towards legislation were set aside, bearing the
outcome of elections and what priorities the new government had. For clarification purposes we want our
members to understand the reason this occurred in the past was that legislation
never became law. In 2006, The
Traditional Chinese Medicine Act became law, which was unanimously voted upon
by all members of Parliament. Even
though there is an election, despite any election outcome, the regulation of
our profession will be a reality and the new Transitional College will be formed. If there was any doubt, the government’s
decision to move forward by hiring the new Registrar is a clear indication of
the intent of the Government to move forward in enacting the Traditional
Chinese Medicine Act. It is however, a
long process that requires careful deliberation and to this end it is
understandable because the choosing of a Registrar is integral to the
successful implementation of new policy and directions.
CMAAC is extremely pleased with this
decision and encourages all of you to look forward to the day when we as
Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners and Acupuncturists will be licensed
as regulated practitioners. This is a
major initiative in which we will be recognized as part of the government’s
plan for an innovative health care system that provides equal opportunity to
access safe and effective treatment from qualified professionals within the
field of TCM. For further information
please do not hesitate to contact head office.
