Acupuncture in Italy must be provided only by medical doctors.
The Supreme Court of Justice (Suprema Corte di Cassazione( 1982, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007) has ruled that acupuncture is a medical act and it is an infringement of medical powers for anyone without a degree in medicine to practise Traditional and Non-Conventional Medicines (168, 170–172).
The Italian “National Federation of the Orders of Doctors and Dentists” (FNOMCeO) has
acknowledged acupuncture treatment as a responsibility and an additional medical
treatment of a medical doctor or a dentist (106, 168). Diplomas of medical acupuncturists
are issued and approved by the national medical council/chamber in Italy (106).
For example the Emilia Romagna Regional Government has included acupuncture in the Essential Level of Care (LEA) of the Regional Health Service (RHS) for two indications: prevention of headache (migraine and tension type headache) and treatment of low back pain). Each Local Unit of the RHS must implement clinics able to offer this treatment to patients referred by their GPs or other specialists.
106. CAMDOC Alliance ECH ECPM ICMART and IVAA. The regulatory status of Complementary and Alternative Medicine for medical doctors in Europe. Brussels 2010 January 2010. Report No.: 2010.
168. Roberti di Sarsina P, Iseppato I, editors. Non Conventional Medicine within the Italian Medical Profession. ECIM 2011; 2011; Berlin.
170. Roberti di Sarsina P, Iseppato I. State of Art of the Regulative Situation of Non Conventional Medicines in Italy. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 2010;16(2):141-2.
171. Roberti di Sarsina P, Iseppato I. Looking for a Person-Centered Medicine: Non Conventional Medicine in the Conventional European and Italian Setting. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2011;2011.
172. Roberti di Sarsina P, Iseppato I. Non-Conventional Medicine in Italy: The present situation. European Journal of Integrative Medicine. 2009;1(2):65-71.
