Acupuncture, ACC and the Medicines Act.

ABSTRACT

Acupuncture is covered under the Accident Compensation (Liability to Pay or Contribute to Cost of Treatment) Regulations 2003, and is therefore eligible for Accident Compensation Corporation payments for the treatment of personal injuries. This study searched New Zealand acupuncturists' websites for therapeutic claims that may breach Section 58(1)(a) of the Medicines Act. A search of acupuncturists' websites shows that many claim to be able to treat a wide range of conditions, despite a lack of evidence showing the efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of those conditions. Practitioners and owners of websites likely to be in breach of the Medicines Act include many committee members from acupuncture's professional bodies.