I write because of my concern about the opioid crisis and to make you aware of a tool that can treat patients with chronic pain and avoid more people becoming addicted to pain meds. This practice is referred to as Point Injection Therapy (PIT), a form of Acupuncture that is remarkably effective in alleviating pain. There is a holdup at the Ministry of Health due to the BC health professions college amalgamation process, along with COVID-19, that has prevented the updated scope of practice for the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists (BC) from being approved by Cabinet. TCM & Acupuncture practitioners have been forced to stop treating their patients with PIT and I am asking that you please help our acupuncturists have this service approved for their scope of therapy. I appreciate there are many pressing demands on you and your government, but I feel unless there is significant action taken to help people with chronic pain, we will experience more people being addicted to fentanyl or other opioids, and a greater cost to our healthcare system. Thank you for your time and I look forward to your response.

I write as a patient who sees a TCM & Acupuncture practitioner who helps me tremendously with my pain. I was recently told that there are some treatments I have been getting that my Acupuncturist isn’t allowed to do anymore unless their scope update gets approved by the BC government. This really upsets me because my treatments have helped me be able to do the things I want and have helped me be able to keep working. My pain goes away when my Acupuncturist treats me. I don’t understand why the government isn’t signing the scope so I can keep getting the treatments that work for me. TCM & Acupuncture practitioners in BC urgently need your help to get their scope of practice update approved by the Ministry of Health before the allied health profession colleges amalgamate later this year. I don’t want to use drugs that I might get addicted to. Patients like me can’t keep waiting for treatment. Our health is suffering and our options are limited. Thank you for your time and I look forward to your response.