California Acupuncture Board previews updated consumer brochure, asks stakeholders for input

The California Acupuncture Board’s Enforcement Committee reviewed a draft update to its consumer brochure on acupuncture and asked stakeholders to submit suggested revisions and sample materials.

The committee’s chair, Ruben Osorio, said the board’s goal is to “focus this communication on what a consumer can do in seeking treatment” while making clear the board’s role is enforcement and not advocacy for the profession.

Board staff presented a working draft and said it was a “bare bones” starting point, with legal counsel advising the committee to avoid language that could be read as recommending specific therapies or promoting professional excellence beyond the board’s entry-level role.

Stakeholders who spoke during the public comment period urged broader content and modern designs. Neil Miller of the California Acupuncture Traditional Medical Association said the draft omitted items that had been in prior brochures and asked the committee to explain why content was removed and to allow a committee working session to revise the text. Marilyn Allen of the American Acupuncture Council and other commenters suggested the brochure be more visually engaging, include brief explanations of how acupuncture is understood by both traditional and modern research frameworks, and provide links or QR codes for deeper information.

Several speakers asked the board to add concise safety information about common side effects (bruising, soreness) and adjunct techniques such as cupping or moxibustion. Miller and others recommended the board coordinate with professional associations to provide content that explains practice modalities and training levels while the board limits the brochure to consumer rights and how to file complaints.

Board staff encouraged written submissions and mockups and said stakeholders should send materials to acupuncture@dca.ca.gov. Staff noted the board can set basic consumer expectations (for example, how to verify a license) but that associations, schools and professional groups should supply more detailed educational and promotional materials.

The committee did not adopt a final brochure at the meeting and asked staff to collect stakeholder feedback and bring revised options back for further committee review.

Ending: Committee members said they will report the discussion at the next full-board meeting and invited written suggestions from associations and practitioners. Written comments and mockups were requested to be sent to acupuncture@dca.ca.gov.