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Board committee hears calls to update clean needle technique, single‑use rules and training
Summary
Public commenters urged the California Acupuncture Board Licensing Committee to require periodic refreshers, to update the Council of Colleges clean-needle manual and to enforce single-use needle rules after multiple complaints about clinic hygiene and inconsistent school clinic practices.
The California Acupuncture Board Licensing Committee spent substantial public-comment time on the clean needle technique (CNT), with speakers urging clearer training, regular renewal requirements and stronger enforcement for clinic hygiene.
Legal counsel read state regulation language during the meeting: “An acupuncturist shall use needles labeled for single use only that meet the requirements of the federal regulations 21 CFR part 880.558,” and added that “it shall constitute unprofessional conduct for an acupuncturist to use a needle more than once.”
Several public commenters described observed lapses in clinic hygiene and inconsistent CNT practice in school clinics. Dita Garabaghi told the committee, “I have seen clinics where handwashing is not done before or after patients or in between patients… Alcohol is not being appropriately used… I would like the board to be informed of that and I would like that to be addressed to protect the public.”
Other speakers asked the board to require periodic CNT refreshers. Ron Zaidman and several acupuncturists said many practitioners trained decades ago never renewed CNT training and that updated safety protocols are important. One commenter recommended a recurring CE requirement—every three to eight years—to ensure clinicians follow the most recent infection-control practices.
Public commenter Farshid Namin, who teaches CNT, told the committee the Council of Colleges’ CNT manual was “outdated” in several references, and urged California schools, associations and the board to collaborate on an updated, California‑specific training.
Board staff and members clarified current pathways for meeting CNT requirements: schools may certify graduates as having completed CNT instruction if the school uses the referenced CNT text in its curriculum; private continuing-education courses remain an alternative pathway. Member Gregory Liang and others emphasized hospital practice standards that favor single-use needles and strict disposal and handling procedures.
Staff noted the board no longer has routine site-visit authority over school clinics and said the board’s ability to act on clinic hygiene typically begins with a consumer complaint. Executive Officer Ben Bodea and legal counsel described the complaint process and encouraged submission of documented complaints so the board can investigate. Legal counsel explained anonymous tips are more difficult to act upon without corroborating evidence, though complaints can be submitted anonymously and will be evaluated for sufficiency.
Committee members asked staff to continue documenting stakeholder concerns and suggested working with accreditors and schools on joint solutions. The committee did not adopt any new regulation at the meeting but signaled interest in returning to CNT as a follow-up item, with possible regulatory or educational proposals to consider.
