The American Association of Oriental Medicine Announces Formation of the Chinese Herbal Medicine Coalition

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, June, 2001

Mission is to Promote and Ensure Safe, Effective and Responsible Use of Chinese Herbs in the US

The American Association of Oriental Medicine (AAOM), an organization representing the professional Oriental Medicine community, has announced the formation of the Chinese Herbal Medicine Coalition (CHMC). The CHMC will represent Chinese herbal manufacturers, distributors, and practitioners, and has charged itself with a mission to ensure the safe, effective, and responsible use of Chinese herbs in the United States.

Following recent actions taken by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) against some companies selling Traditional Chinese Herbal products, the AAOM convened an emergency meeting in Los Angeles in late January to create a representative coalition that will mobilize an appropriate response to the FDA and work with the agency to develop acceptable guidelines for the safe production and use of Chinese Herbal Medicines.

"It is important for practitioners and purveyors of Traditional Chinese Medicine to clearly present our position and concerns in light of recent FDA actions," said Robbee Fian, acupuncturist and AAOM president. "These herbs have been safely recommended and used in the US for decades, and our new coalition will work to affirm the integrity of Chinese Herbal Medicine and to articulate guidelines for their production and use. We look forward to forging a collaborative relationship with the FDA to implement the best practices for Chinese Herbal Medicine."

The Chinese Herbal Medicine Coalition's mission is to promote the safe, effective, and responsible use of Chinese herbs in the United States. The Coalition believes that these objectives are best achieved through self-regulation and certification. Manufacturers will work to promote Good Manufacturing Standards that include proper identification of raw products, cleanliness, freedom from contamination, and other standards that apply to the manufacturing process. The professional CHM community will work to promote education and certification standards for the practice of CHM, and to develop informational material and recommendations for the safe and effective use of these products.

The Los Angeles meeting was attended by representatives from Chinese herb companies, Oriental Medicine professional organizations, researchers, practitioners, and others. Companies and organizations included Qualiherbs, China Herbs, Crane Herbs, Helio, Lotus Herbs, Mayway, Golden Flower, Health Concerns, K'an Herbs, KPC, Taiwan Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Association, BMK International, Sheng Chang, Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, Acupuncture.Com, Acupuncture Today, American Acupuncture Council, American Association of Oriental Medicine, American Herbal Products Association, California Acupuncture Medical Association, Council of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Associations, California State Oriental Medical Association, National Guild of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, California Food and Drug Branch, and more.

Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM) has developed over thousands of years into a highly scientific system designed to alleviate illness and to promote health, and entered the United States with Chinese immigrants in the early 19th century. Training and licensing standards were first adopted in the US in 1974, when Nevada began licensing Doctors of Oriental Medicine. A national certification examination was established in 1985 by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Qualifications for this exam include 2000 hours of formal education or 4000 hours of apprenticeship.

The American Association of Oriental Medicine continues to review all reports of adverse events in order to assure safety in the use of Chinese herbal medicine. The AAOM, founded in 1981, is a national professional membership organization of licensed practitioners advocating for the responsible practice of acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, manual therapy, and the other modalities of Oriental Medicine. The AAOM has been instrumental in developing educational and certification standards, and is currently developing practice standards for Oriental Medicine professionals in the United States.