(a) Upon application to the department prior to July 1, 1980, any person who has been an instructor in the art of acupuncture or Chinese medicine at a domestic or foreign college or university satisfactory to the department for a period of two (2) years and who has had at least ten (10) years' experience, shall be granted a license by the department as a doctor of acupuncture or doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine without the necessity of taking an examination.
(b) An acupuncturist, licensed and in good standing to practice acupuncture in another jurisdiction, may perform acupuncture or acupuncture and Chinese medicine while teaching or demonstrating or providing acupuncture in connection with teaching or participating in an educational seminar in Rhode Island.
(c) An auricular acupuncture technician, qualified and trained to perform 5NP, may perform the procedure within that individual's current scope of practice; provided, that the individual obtains a certificate of training from a recognized organization or agency that meets or exceeds NADA training.
(d) Acudetox may be performed by auricular acupuncture technicians working in, or in collaboration with, behavioral health and healthcare agencies, or other state-approved programs or agencies.
(e) Any complaints filed against an auricular acupuncture technician relating to the performance of any 5NP procedure shall be handled by the licensing board or department in conformance with the requirements of that individual's healthcare license or certification.
(f) Any individual performing 5NP shall not use the title "acupuncturist" or "doctor of acupuncture" or "doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine," as defined in § 5-37.2-2, or otherwise represent himself or herself as an acupuncture professional and shall not perform acupuncture outside of the scope of the auricular acudetox procedure.
(g) Nothing in this chapter is intended to limit, interfere with, or prevent a certified auricular acupuncture technician from practicing within the scope of their certification.
History of Section.
P.L. 1979, ch. 395, § 3; P.L. 1985, ch. 181, art. 18, § 2; P.L. 2015, ch. 140, § 2; P.L. 2015, ch. 150, § 2; P.L. 2021, ch. 62, § 2, effective June 25, 2021; P.L. 2021, ch. 68, § 2, effective June 25, 2021.