Registration
Professional Registration of Homoeopaths and Associations:
The Homoeopathic Profession within Australia has co-operatively
formed a
National Registration Board called the
Australian Register of Homoeopaths (AROH).
The formation of this Register has been accomplished by
the profession, without any assistance to or recognition
of the profession, by the Australian Government.
(In Australia, Homoeopathy is not recognised as a profession
by the Australian government and does not have a voice in
parliamentary debate. In contrast in the United Kingdom,
Homoeopathy is recognised under parliamentary law, reaffirmed
by questions in the House of Commons, under this law, Homoeopathic
Medicine is supplied as part of the National Health Care
System in the United Kingdom. Several Homoeopathic Hospitals
operate within the United Kingdom supplying public Homoeopathic
treatment, these are located in
London, Glasgow, Tunbridge Wells and Liverpool.)
AROH is not the professions representative, but is a protection
mechanism for the public. It sets and maintains the necessary
parameters under which registered Homoeopaths should be
operating. It also provides an avenue for members of the
public to voice any concerns that they may have with the
conduct of any registered Homoeopath. Part of the parameters
includes certification of Education standards and Continuing
Professional Development. The Board also negotiates with
Private Health Insurers for recognition of Registered Homoeopaths.
The Homoeopathic Profession is the only ‘non-mainstream’
health profession in Australia which has a National Registration
Body. The next big step for the profession is the formation
of an Australian Council for Homoeopathy. This council would
be a peak body, with representatives from the different
associations and organisations that have homoeopaths as
members. These representatives would collaborate together
to promote the interests of the profession. Discussions
on the formation of this council have commenced between
some associations.
Homoeopathic Associations:
There are several different Homoeopathic Associations within
Australia that cater to the needs of people who practice
Homoeopathic Medicine. Some practitioners may be members
of several different Associations. Some of the Homoeopathic
Associations are:
Australian Association of Professional Homoeopaths (AAPH)
Australian Homoeopathic Association (AHA)
Homoeopathic Education & Research Assoc (HERA)
Homoeopathic Medicine Association (HMA)
The Australian Medical Faculty of Homoeopathy (AMFH)
As well, other groups cater to a conglomeration of therapists
such as Naturopaths, Herbalists, Acupuncturists and others
from the alternative and complementary health professions.
Some of these organisations are:
Australian Natural Therapies Association (ANTA)
Australian Traditional Medicine Society (ATMS)
Homoeopathic Associations are small in comparison to these
conglomerate organisations. In general, Naturopaths and
other non-mainstream health professionals who are not homoeopaths
enjoy greater recognition, than the homoeopathic profession.
There is a perception by the Australian Government and the
population in general, that Homoeopathic Medicine is a form
of Naturopathy. There are many more Naturopaths who use
Homoeopathy as an adjunct to other therapies in which they
have been trained, than there are specialist Homoeopathic
Practitioners and clinics.
(There are many people practicing Homoeopathy in Australia
who may not be registered with AROH but are members of a
conglomerate organisation. There are also people practicing
Homoeopathy in Australia who are not registered with AROH
and who do not belong to a Homoeopathic or Alternative/Complementary
organisation).
