TCM Internal Medicine

For clinical practice, students will be provided with the opportunity of reporting and reflecting on their observations in the clinic and gain experience in acupuncture, herbal medicine treatment, and herbal dispensary.

Students will be referred constantly and appropriately throughout the course to the TGA and CMBA guidelines on the use of herbs vis-à-vis the various regulatory instruments and the management and reporting of adverse events.

1. Explain and demonstrate the procedures involved in assisting in the management of an herbal dispensary including storage, labelling, inventory control, contamination control and hygienic procedure, and record keeping. Identify and analyse herbal prescriptions and demonstrate advising patients about the safe preparation of raw herbs, granules, poultice herbs in appreciation of Australia’s multi-cultural/multi-racial nature and how this may affect their administration
2. Describe and demonstrate compliance with CMBA Code of Conduct, policies, codes and guidelines to their practice, and awareness of the Updated listing of restricted Chinese herbs
3. Describe and explain the aims, requirements, and methods of general herbal preparation (Pao Zhi); Demonstrate herbal preparation of Dry stir frying, Stir frying with solid / liquid adjuvants, Blast frying, Calcination, Roasting, Steaming, Boiling and Water-refining
4. Describe the basic knowledge about botany, taxonomy and zoology, and recent developments in herbal preparation methods; Demonstrate working knowledge of the interaction between herbal and pharmaceutical medicines, and restricted and scheduled herbs as well as their use in accordance with Australian regulations and the Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Medicines and Poisons (SUSMP); Describe and explain procedures for appropriate reporting of adverse events and implement appropriate first aid measures when a patient displays an adverse reaction to treatment, and ensure prompt transfer to medical services where necessary
5. Demonstrate competency in conducting patient interview and examination, accurately reporting and synthesising the information with reasonable explanation gathered during the process
6. Demonstrate the basic procedures and skills in the diagnosis, patient’s management with acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and herbal dispensing
7. Demonstrate competency in professional communications, general patient care, record keeping, clinic reception, stock taking, and the day-to-day management of clinic facilities as well as equipment
8. Demonstrate self-assessment and self-reflection through actively encourage feedback from patient, classmate and supervisor during practice

Assessment 2: Clinical Assessment (30%)

Assessment 3: Final Examination (40%)

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Philippe Sionneau, Bob Flaws (1995), Pao Zhi: An Introduction to the Use of Processed Chinese Medicinals, Blue Poppy Press.

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Weir, M. (2007). Complementary medicine: Ethics and law (3rd ed.). Ashgrove, Qld. Prometheus Publications.