While the practice of Chinese Medicine grandfathers most other practices of health care, it is still rather young to Canada and Ontario in particular. The government of Ontario passed legislation known as the "Traditional Chinese Medicine Act, 2006, Bill 50, making Ontario the second province to regulate Chinese medicine in its entirety, following in the foot steps of British Columbia.

 

The practice of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) was finally recognized after more than 20 years of lobbying by the Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Association of Canada (CMAAC) and was granted self-regulation status under the TCMA and Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (RHPA) in 2006. The Lieutenant government of Ontario appointed a transitional Council with a mandate to develop the regulations, standards of practice, policies and guidelines necessary to register members who will deliver safe, quality and ethical traditional Chinese medicine care to the Ontario public. The regulation became law as it was reviewed by the Minister of Health and Long Term Care, approved by the Lieutenant Governor in Council, filed with the Registrar of Regulations and published in the Ontario Gazette.

The College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of Ontario (CTCMPAO) is one of the new colleges to be established under the RHPA and the TCMA. According to The Chinese Medicine Act 2006, no person other than a member shall use the titles "Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner" or "Acupuncturist", a variation or abbreviation or an equilivent in another language. No person other than the member shall hold himself or herself out as a person who is qualified to practice in Ontario as a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner or acupuncturist or in a specialty of traditional Chinese medicine.