Abstract
Standardization in the field of acupuncture and moxibustion by an international organization first started in the 1980's, when the Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) of the World Health Organization (WHO) developed standards for basic nomenclature in acupuncture medicine. After his 2002 inauguration as WPRO's regional officer in charge of traditional medicine, Choi Seung-hoon launched several projects including development of standard terminology and acupuncture point locations for standardization of traditional medicine. Those projects were planned and carried out for the purpose of increasing the exchange of more information in the field of traditional medicine
In 2009, the Standardization Administration of China (SAC) applied to the International Standards Organization (ISO) for the establishment of a new technical committee for TCM, resulting in the creation of TC249 'TCM (Provisional)'in September of year. The scope of proposals in the application documents submitted to ISO included comprehensive standardization including licensing, education, terminology, manipulation and medical devices.
In order to promote Japan`s own standpoint and cope with international trends for developing standards, four academic societies in Japan and two WHO collaboration centers for traditional medicine formed a liaison (the Japan Liaison for Oriental Medicine:JLOM).
So far, TC249 plenary meetings have been held in 2010 and in 2011, and two working groups have been created to contend with medical devices used in traditional medicine (acupuncture and moxibustion). Such recent movements for standardization in ISO and WHO also brought to light the problems with Japan's domestic standards regarding clinical practice, education and research in acupuncture and moxibustion. We should understand that what we face as international problems are closely related to domestic ones, and we are required to be accountable for both.
