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Accreditation and ongoing Continuing Professional Development requirements for Recognised General Practitioners claiming MBS item numbers 193, 195, 197 and 199 for Medical Acupuncture

All Recognised General Practitioners practising Medical Acupuncture and claiming Medicare Item numbers 193, 195, 197 and 199 must be accredited by the Joint Consultative Committee for Medical Acupuncture and participate in on-going Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements to maintain their eligibility with Medicare Australia.

Please note that whilst all GPs who practice Medical Acupuncture are encouraged to apply for accreditation, only those who are Recognised General Practitioners with Medicare Australiacan access MBS Item numbers 193, 195, 197 and 199. GPs who are not Recognised GPs with Medicare Australia cannot currently use these MBS Item numbers regardless of their Medical Acupuncture accreditation status

The following criteria for GP accreditation and on-going Medical Acupuncture CPD requirements has been developed by the Australian Medical Acupuncture College (AMAC) and the RACGP Joint Consultative Committee for Medical Acupuncture (links below).

To qualify for Medical Acupuncture accreditation GPs must:

• Have successfully completed a Joint Consultative Committee for Medical Acupuncture recognised training course in Medical Acupuncture
• Have successfully completed part one of the Australian Medical Acupuncture College Fellowship exam (FAMAC- Part 1) or equivalent
• Participate in a recognised Continuing Professional Development Program (either the RACGP QA&CPD Program or the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) PD Program) for the maintenance of on-going Medical Acupuncture requirements each triennium.
• Meet on-going Continuing Professional Development requirements in Medical Acupuncture each triennium
• Recognised GPs applying for accreditation are required to complete an application that will be assessed by a representative of the Joint Consultative Committee for Medical Acupuncture. Application forms are available by contacting the RACGP on (03) 8699 0510 or may be downloaded below , or from AMAC.

OngoingMedical Acupuncture CPD Requirements

This program aims to encourage peer interaction, case discussion and the practice of acupuncture techniques, rather than a GP’s individual reflection on their acupuncture practice in isolation.

The minium CPD requirements for Recognised General Practitioners performing medical acupuncture for the remainder of the 2005-2007 triennium are:

• Category 1 - 30 points - a minimum of 1 Module from Category 1options
• Category 2 requirement is 10 points

2005-2007 TRIENNIUM REQUIREMENTS FOR MEDICAL ACUPUNCTURE
CATEGORY 1 Options- A minimum of 1 MODULE in education activities relevant to medical acupuncture	CATEGORY 2 Options 10 points
Clinical Audit Active Learning Module Small Group Learning (guidelines available upon request from RACGP National Office) Supervised Clinical Attachment (Supervisor must be a Fellow of AMAC or equivalent) GP Research Higher Education (course must be taught by ‘Medical Practitioners’) Writing an article for a Peer Reviewed Article * Please note that a Learning Plan is not acceptable for GP Acupuncture points	2 points per hour educational activities Workshops/Seminars/Conferences Individual applications Teaching Students/Registrars Book reviews Writing Community Articles Editing / Reviewing articles Presentations to peers External Clinical Teaching Other CPD activities relevant to medical acupuncture

The points accrued for participation in approved medical acupuncture activities will contribute towards RACGP requirements for continuing GP Recognition with Medicare Australia and will not be in addition.

Publication Date: 31 August 2005