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File a Complaint

The College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of B.C. is established by the Health Professions Act of B.C. (the Act) to establish mandatory registration of practitioners and to regulate the practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and acupuncture in B.C.. As a regulatory body, it is the primary duty of the College to serve and protect the public.

How to File a Complaint

If you have any concern about the actions of a registrant of the College, any member of the public, another registrant of the College, or a registrant of any other Health College, may deliver a complaint to the Registrar in writing.

A complaint should be mailed or delivered to the Registrar at:

College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of British Columbia
900 – 200 Granville St
Vancouver BC V6C 1S4

Your complaint must include the following: 

  • The name of the registrant under the College.
  • A description of your concerns. 
  • The date(s) of the incident(s) or treatment(s). 
  • Your name, address and telephone. 
  • Number where you can be reached during the normal workday. 
  • Any other information or documents you feel is pertinent to the complaint.

The Complaint Process

Upon receiving a complaint, the Registrar will review the nature of the complaint, decide whether it is a matter over which the College has jurisdiction, and assess any immediate public protection issues. The major considerations in the review are whether or not the person in question is or was a registrant of the College, and whether the allegations, if proven, would constitute a violation of the Act, TCM regulations and Bylaws, or be characterized as professional misconduct or incompetence.

The Registrar will acknowledge the complainant in writing upon receipt, and will refer the matter to the Inquiry Committee for directions. The respondent (the registrant) will also be notified regarding the complaint. All information will be forwarded to the respondent for response. The Complainant and the Registrant will be kept informed as the matter proceeds.

Once a complaint is before the Inquiry Committee, the committee will review the complaint and determine what further action is appropriate on the file. A wide variety of outcomes are possible, such as:

  1. dismissal of the complaint if there was no evidence of violation of the Act, TCM Regulation or Bylaws, nor the Codes of Ethics or Practice Standards Guidelines of the College;
  2. direct the Registrar to investigate the matter further;
  3. settle the matter with a “consent order” if the committee has some concerns about a registrant’s conduct, and the registrant is willing to acknowledge this and is willing to sign a consent order; and,
  4. where appropriate and necessary, the committee will issue a Citation which requires the registrant to appear before a formal Hearing of the Discipline Committee.