Chinese Herbal Medicine employs the same diagnostic methods as other types of TCM and, rather than using pre-sterilised disposable Acupuncture needles to provide the treatment, it uses Traditional Chinese Medical ingredients such as roots, leaves and flowers which are combined according to classical Chinese Prescriptions to treat the client’s condition.

Some experienced and highly trained practitioners are qualified to use, where appropriate, Chinese Herbal Medicine with or without the accompaniment of Acupuncture treatment.

These members have normally spent a further 2 or more years of study in Chinese Herbal Medicine (in addition to their Acupuncture training) and have attained a Diploma level qualification in Chinese Herbal Medicine (Dip.CHM). They are permitted to safely and effectively prescribe tailor-made prescriptions for their clients.

For a list of these practitioners click here.

What is in a prescription?

• Only Traditional Chinese herbal plant products are used.
• No Western medicines are used.
• No animal products, mineral products nor endangered plant species are used.
• Chinese Herbal medicines used by PRTCM members are all bought from a specific list of Approved Herbal Suppliers.

All Herbal practitioner members of the PRTCM have agreed to comply with any advice or prohibitions from the Irish Medicines Board (IMB) and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Can it be taken with other forms of medicine?

TCM in general, including Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine and Medical Qigong can be combined with or used alongside other medical therapies and disciplines, such as western medicine. Your Chinese Herbal Medicine practitioner will not ask you to stop taking any Western Medicines that the doctor has prescribed for you.

What is Chinese Herbal medicine used for?

All forms of TCM treatment strive to boost, reinforce, strengthen and invigorate the Qi. Acupuncture medicine, for example, employs finest needles, applied to the skin, to drive out unhealthy Qi and restore healthy circulation of optimal Qi. Herbs do likewise, but “from the inside”. The herbs are ingested and work away, silently and unseen, to do their restorative, regenerative or vitalising work.

The Professional Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine

"The first Professional Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine established in Ireland".

The Professional Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine (PRCHM) was established in Ireland by Professor Thomas J. Shanahan to promote public safety and confidence by guaranteeing the highest ethical and professional standards of thoroughly-trained and competent practitioners of Chinese herbal medicine. The Register created in 1998 follows the same structure as that of the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine, co-founded by Thomas Shanahan, over a decade previously in the UK.

The Herbal Register is concerned to ensure that:

• Only safe, effective and legal products are imported into the country and used by its practitioners
• No herbal products are used which are derived from environmentally threatened species
• Patients are advised against self-prescription with Herbal products

This Register is a specialised "sister" organisation of the long-established Professional Register of Traditional Chinese Medicine (PRTCM), which has been vetting the educational and professional standards of its members, and promoting the health of Irish citizens since 1983.

Full Membership of the Professional Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine is only open to those practitioner members of the PRTCM who have successfully completed, by examination, the Diploma in Chinese Herbal Medicine.

Contact

The PRTCM can be contacted by clicking here.