Law regulates acupuncture in Brazil

Law No. 15.345 (pt version), which regulates the practice of acupuncture in Brazil, has been enacted. CABSIN It analyzes the new legislation, addressing who can practice it, the impacts on patients, the Brazilian Public Health System, research funding, and its importance for the safety and effectiveness of care.

Acupuncture has its own legal framework in Brazil.

Starting this week, acupuncture has its own legal framework in Brazil. Sanctioned on January 12, 2026, and published in the Official Gazette of the Union on the 13th, Law No. 15.345 regulates the professional practice of acupuncture throughout the national territory, defining who is legally qualified to offer the practice and what requirements must be met.

A national reference in the production and dissemination of scientific evidence that guides health policies and in the integration of person-centered practices, the Brazilian Academic Consortium for Integrative Health (CABSIN) This brings the subject to public debate with an analysis by physician and acupuncturist Dr. Gustavo Tenório Cunha, professor in the Department of Public Health at the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the State University of Campinas (FCM/Unicamp) and member of the Committee on Traditional Chinese Medicine of CABSIN.

What does Law No. 15.345 define regarding qualification?

According to the text of the law, the following may practice the activity: those holding a degree in acupuncture; those holding an equivalent higher education degree obtained abroad, after validation and registration with the competent Brazilian bodies; higher-level health professionals with a specialist title in acupuncture recognized by their respective federal councils; and also those who can prove uninterrupted practice in the field for at least five years up to the date the regulation comes into effect.

The legislation also defines acupuncture as a set of techniques and therapies aimed at stimulating specific points on the human body, using appropriate needles, with the goal of maintaining or restoring the balance of the patient’s physical and mental functions.

Points that are prohibited and what changes for the patient.

Upon enacting the law, the Presidency of the Republic vetoed two points: the section that guaranteed the professional practice of acupuncture to holders of a technical diploma issued by an educational institution recognized by the government, and the provision that ensured the right to complete courses started before the law came into effect within the regulatory timeframe. It will be up to the National Congress, in a joint session, to decide whether to uphold or overturn the vetoes.

According to Dr. Gustavo Tenório, an expected effect of the regulation is the expansion of access to acupuncture and Chinese medicine: “It is possible that the public system (Brazilian Public Health System) and the complementary system will recognize more professionals qualified to practice acupuncture.” He believes the law also tends to boost the organization of training and the consolidation of educational parameters. “Once regulated, new undergraduate courses in acupuncture can be structured. Other health professions can also define parameters and promote the practice of acupuncture through the regulation of their professional councils.”

Expected impacts on scientific funding

Another point highlighted by Tenório is the potential impact on scientific production. “Regulation also favors research funding,” he says, pointing out that this can contribute to “a better structuring of information about the results obtained with acupuncture and Chinese medicine practices,” as well as stimulating new investigations considered promising for professionals and patients. This is a positive impact celebrated especially by the network of researchers at [organization name]. CABSIN, which works to ensure that Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicines (Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicines) are incorporated into the Brazilian health system with a strong scientific basis of safety and efficacy.

According to the Consortium’s board, being able to monitor these two guiding components – safety and efficacy – through research, comparing professionals according to their level of experience and type of training, will be very important to respond to criticism regarding the expansion of prerequisites for practicing the profession. This is in conjunction with the Acupuncture Evidence Map produced by… CABSIN e BIREME-PAHO/WHO – which is based on high-level systematic reviews and shows that specific types of intervention produce positive effects for each specific clinical outcome – , the development and implementation of clinical recommendations and guidelines can drive evidence-based expansion.

Oversight and accountability: how it works in the Brazilian public health system and in the private sector.

The law also highlights how oversight and accountability occur in the daily operations of services. Gustavo Tenório observes that professionals already authorized by their councils to perform acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatments are overseen by these bodies, and that associations and specialty societies also play this role. He also draws attention to control mechanisms that operate in practice, especially in structured services: “The most important oversight, particularly in the Brazilian Public Health System and in structured health services, such as clinics, happens through the organization of the service itself. In the units of the Brazilian Public Health System, the public system itself carries out the oversight. In the private sector, health plans also conduct evaluations.”

Patient safety: basic care and best practices in acupuncture
When the topic is patient safety, the doctor emphasizes that acupuncture demands basic care aligned with what is expected of any health practice, such as the use of disposable needles and attention to the patient’s condition. “In addition to basic care, it’s worth highlighting some specificities, such as the need to avoid performing the procedure on an empty stomach,” he states, adding that the treatment should consider individual responses, since some people are more sensitive to certain techniques, as well as having special conditions that require certain types of approaches and exclude others.

In guiding the public on how to choose a good professional, acupuncture is no different from other medical systems and health professions. Tenório emphasizes that it is not enough to simply ask about their training. It is important to observe how the acupuncturist conducts care and proposes diagnoses and therapeutic options, always in line with the paradigm of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which includes connections with diet and body practices. He also considers expectations of results: “For some problems the response may be faster, but in chronic conditions or those with greater physical strain, a greater number of sessions may be necessary.”

Corporate disputes and service quality: what the law is likely to change.
According to the professor, the law can also reduce corporate disputes surrounding the practice of acupuncture and contribute to a more predictable environment for training, quality of care, and research. “I think the most positive aspect of this legislation is that it ends a market dispute between professional corporations,” he says, arguing that it is important when the interests of society prevail over disputes between professional corporations.

The regulation of the professional practice of acupuncture throughout Brazil therefore inaugurates a new stage for the practice in the country, with direct implications for access, organization of training, research, and service provision to the population.

Source:

Acupuncture Law: What changes with the new regulations. In: CABSIN News [website]. Brazil: CABSIN; 2026 (https://en.cabsin.org.br/noticia/acupuntura-no-brasil/, accessed 27 Jan 2026).