Amber Laris
Chiropractor and Osteopath INFORMATION SHEET
The Regulation of Chiropractic in Australia
L
ike other primary healthcare providers in Australia, chiropractors need to be licensed in order to be able to practise. The Chiropractic Board of Australia (CBA), working in partnership with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), is responsible for the registration of chiropractors, and there are a number of standards that need to be met before a chiropractor can be licensed to practise in this country. One of the main standards upon which registration is dependent relates to approved programmes of study. In order to be
“The Chiropractic Board of Australia and the Chiropractors Association of Australia are the professional bodies who oversee chiropractic practice throughout the country”
registered by the Board, chiropractors must have undertaken at least 5 years’s training at one of the three Australian universities that provide degrees in chiropractic. A further central standard relates to a commitment to continuing professional development; Australian chiropractors must undertake annual professional development and make declarations to the CBA regarding this training as a requirement of their registration renewal process. Furthermore, the CBA has a Code of Conduct for all practising chiropractors in Australia. The purpose of the Code is to provide guidance to the profession in relation to expected professional standards. It offers very clear standards and informs both practitioners and patients about the Board’s expectations of the profession, and assists and supports chiropractors to deliver effective health services within an ethical framework. The Code of Conduct relates to such areas as: • providing good care • working with patients • working within the health care system • maintaining professional performance • professional behaviour and ethical conduct In addition, an Australian chiropractor should also be a member of the Chiropractors Association of Australia. The CAA is the peak
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