Minister approves Herbalists for Registration

Friday, 20 July 2007, 10:08 amPress Release: NZ Association of Medical Herbalists NZAMH New Zealand Association of Medical Herbalists

Media Release 20th July 2007
For Immediate Release

Health Minister approves Medical Herbalists for Registration
The Minister of Health Pete Hodgson has approved Western Medical Herbalism for inclusion as a health profession within the scope of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (HPCA Act). The New Zealand Association of Medical Herbalists (NZAMH) today welcomed this move as a step forward in providing the public with greater choices in professional complementary healthcare.

"Registration of Medical Herbalism can be seen as a reflection of the New Zealand healthcare system responding to public interest and public health requirements, and will substantially improve the integration of herbal medicine into the New Zealand health care system.” Kate McConnell, President of the New Zealand Association of Medical Herbalists said today. “As the Minister himself said recently ‘a modern health system needs to use all the tools at its disposal to make and keep people healthy and well’.”

The HPCA Act provides a framework for the regulation of health practitioners to protect the public from harm. Health professions that are currently within the scope of the Act include doctors, nurses, chiropractors, optometrists, pharmacists, osteopaths and psychologists.

Herbal Medicine is a unique modality, two of its strengths being its value in preventative healthcare and its efficacy in the treatment of chronic health disorders. Medical Herbalists work within a traditional philosophical and therapeutic framework that is inclusive of the medical sciences. Due to this Medical Herbalists support a blend of scientific and traditional values, thereby placing them in a unique position within the healthcare sector.

The decision follows the recent Budget initiative to provide funding for a new Chief Advisor in Integrated Care within the Ministry of Health.