Law and Ethics in Complementary Medicine

Book excerpt: Comprehensive, practical and reflective of the current Australian and New Zealand legislative framework and regulations, this unique textbook addresses legal and ethical issues across a broad range of traditional and complementary practices. The sixth edition of Michael Weir’s classic textbook: • explores legal and ethical issues in clinical relationships, and the role of codes of ethics; • provides practical guidelines for setting up and running a professional practice; • systematically outlines the various aspects of the law which impact on clinical practice, including legal obligations to clients, consumer legislation, complaints processes, and professional boundaries; • explains how to navigate professional indemnity insurance; • outlines the steps you need to take in setting up a professional practice from establishing a business name to dealing with employees; • discusses and provides examples of how to deal with tricky ethical issues in daily practice. This edition includes updated legislation, a review of relevant case law, recent developments in the Unregistered Practitioners’ Code of Conduct and evidence about misconduct and regulatory action, and more in-depth discussion of ethical concepts. This is an essential read for students and practitioners of complementary medicine.