Within the broader system of Chinese Medicine (CM), we help safeguard the public by setting professional standards, publishing expert information about CM, and enabling easy access to professional and high quality treatment via a register of certified practitioners. All members of the RCHM are required to have a degree-level qualification in Chinese Herbal Medicine (or equivalent), and are expected to prescribe using medicinal ingredients sourced only from approved suppliers. The RCHM also takes a strong line on ethics: its members are subject to strict rules that prohibit the use of material sourced in any form from endangered animals or plants.

Although herbal practice has always been at the heart of the RCHM's work, we also help ensure standards in the practice of all of the elements in the system of Chinese Medicine. This is because the majority of our members integrate practices other than Chinese Herbal Medicine into bespoke treatment plans for their patients: mostly acupuncture but also massage therapy (Tui Na), lifestyle and dietary advice, and movement therapies (Qi Gong and Tai Chi). Along with a commitment to professional excellence, our organisation is dedicated to advancing the health of our patients via members whose high standards of training and clinical practice are rooted in both tradition and evidence based medicine.