Abstract

Florida was one of the first states to regulate acupuncture as an independent profession. This study of the acupuncture profession in Florida was conducted from 1987 to 1989 to determine the practical effects and public policy implications of this historic development. In the absence of national standards governing the acupuncture profession, restrictive and inconsistent state regulations in the 1970s and 1980s led to several problems. For example, most states restricted the practice of acupuncture to physicians or to acupuncturists practicing under medical supervision, and prohibited nonphysician acupuncturists, including doctors of traditional Chinese medicine, from practicing independently. ;The research strategy in this study relied on in-depth interviews with knowledgeable informants focused on specific issues. Data collection methods included interviews, observation, and review of official documents. A purposive sample of forty-five informants, including acupuncturists and government regulators, was interviewed. ;There were 238 Florida certified acupuncturists as of February 1989. Of this total, 132 resided in Florida, 104 resided in other states, and two resided in England. Florida acupuncturists were ethnically and philosophically diverse. Most of the acupuncturists who were interviewed had college or professional degrees and used other therapeutic methods in addition to acupuncture. Acupuncturists advanced their profession by working with legislators, professional lobbyists, and their state professional association for favorable laws. There were legal and technical problems with implementing the acupuncture licensure law after it was passed in 1980. The Florida Legislature in 1983 created the Board of Acupuncture to provide the expertise necessary to regulate acupuncture. ;The findings of this study suggest that regulating acupuncture as an independent profession benefits acupuncturists and consumers, and protects public health. Professional licensure enables the acupuncture profession to improve its status and to negotiate its boundaries with other health care professions in a pluralistic medical system. The acupuncture profession in Florida succeeded in establishing its professional autonomy because only acupuncturists have the specialized knowledge necessary to regulate their profession.