The Ministry of Health in the Czech Republic confirms that only physicians with specialization may practise acupuncture (75, 76). A training course is jointly sponsored by the Institute for Further Education of Physicians and the Czech acupuncture chamber of the Czech Medical Society (JEPurkyně - in 2004: the Institute of Post-graduate Education in Healthcare (IPVZ))(75, 76).
Acupuncture is listed in the Act on Public Health Insurance (48/1997) as a method of public health care not covered by insurance. Education of physicians is conducted in accordance with the educational law č.95/2004 Coll (75).
Acupuncture is an additional qualification for medical doctors and veterinary surgeons and diplomas are issued by a national doctors’ association of acupuncture. Postgraduate training for doctors is also offered at private teaching centres and acupuncture training is offered as optional for medical students.
The official document ”Vestnik Ministerstva zdravotnictví Ceské republiky 1981, cástka 1, bod 2” describes how acupuncture can be applied and used (77).
75. Baculíková I. Email: CAM health professionals regulation in the Check Republik. Prague: The Ministry of Health Czech Republic, department of medical profession and the recognition of qualifications; 2011.
76. Bryndová L, Pavloková K, Roubal T, Gaskins M. Health Systems in Transition: Czech Republic: Health system review. In: Gaskins M, Ginneken Ev, editors. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe, on behalf of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies; 2009. p. 1-122.
77. Miroslav Krutina, Ludmila Bendova. Email and meeting: Law governing the practice of CAM in Czech Republic- notes, discussion and questionnaire. Prague: Miroslav Krutina; 2010. p. 2.
