§ 5-37.2-12.1. Examination requirements and issuance of license.
(a) No person shall be licensed as a doctor of acupuncture or doctor of acupuncture and
Chinese medicine unless the person has passed the examination by the National Certification
Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine or a credentialing body approved
by the department.
(b) Before any applicant is eligible for licensure, he or she shall furnish satisfactory
proof that the applicant:
(1) Is a United States citizen or legal alien;
(2) Has demonstrated proficiency in the English language;
(3) Is at least twenty-one (21) years of age;
(4) Is of good moral character;
(5) Has completed an accredited program of not less than one thousand nine hundred five
(1,905) hours of training and has received a certificate or diploma from an institute
approved by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, or
any accrediting body approved by the department, according to the provisions of this
chapter; provided, that this subdivision does not apply to anyone licensed to practice
under chapter 37 of this title who is qualified to take and pass the test by the National
Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, or any credentialing
body meeting the standards for professional certification programs approved by the
department;
(6) Has completed a clinical internship training that is designated as appropriate by
the Accreditation Commission for the Schools and Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental
Medicine (ACAOM) or any credentialing body meeting the standards for professional
certification programs approved by the department; and
(7) Has two (2) letters of reference from reputable individuals other than relatives,
one of which is from a licensed or registered doctor of acupuncture or doctor of acupuncture
and Chinese medicine.
(c) Additional certification for the practice of Chinese herbal medicine.
(1) A licensed acupuncturist is required to demonstrate that the licensee is qualified
by training, experience, or certification to practice Chinese herbal medicine. The
department shall adopt rules specifying the training required for licensed acupuncturists
to obtain the certification to practice Chinese herbal medicine.
(2) Licensees who obtained licensure prior to January 1, 2022, and employ herbal therapy,
including herbal formulations, and who submitted evidence of herbal training that
the department has determined was substantially equivalent or exceeded the ACAOM curricular
requirements regarding Chinese herbal medicine may continue to employ herbal therapy
and may be granted a doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine license by the department.
(3) A licensee who is licensed on or after January 1, 2022, and who completed an ACAOM
accredited or candidate status Oriental medicine program, or traditional Chinese
medicine program, or who completed an herbal medicine program that the department
determined was substantially equivalent or exceeded the ACAOM curriculum requirements
regarding herbal medicine, or who has passed the Chinese herbal medicine examination
by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine or
a credentialing body approved the department, may continue to employ Chinese herbal
medicine therapy during the course of treatment if the licensee has obtained department
approval to employ herbal therapy, and shall be granted a doctor of acupuncture and
Chinese medicine license.
(d) All licensees pursuant to this chapter shall adhere to procedures that employ the
use of disposable, single-use, sterile needles, with proper handling and disposal,
and that follow the provisions of universal precautions.