Home / Health / TCM Practitioner's Blistering Blunder: Mandatory Retraining Ordered
TCM Practitioner's Blistering Blunder: Mandatory Retraining Ordered
17 Sep
Summary
- Practitioner left cupping too long, causing severe blistering.
- Failed to monitor patient or provide adequate first aid.
- Lacked emergency plan and proper record-keeping, plus violated prior agreements.
A traditional Chinese medicine practitioner in British Columbia, Hong Tang, faces mandatory retraining after a severe patient injury. The incident involved blistering during a cupping session, reportedly due to cups being left on too long without monitoring. Tang also failed to provide adequate first aid and lacked a functional emergency response plan.
Investigations launched in September 2025 revealed widespread clinical record-keeping failures, including omitting patient histories and failing to document informed consent. Tang, licensed since April 2004, had previously agreed in February 2021 to improve her procedures but failed to comply, constituting further misconduct.
As part of a consent order, Tang must complete safety and ethics courses at her own expense within six months. She will also undergo practice reviews and submit to random clinic audits for two years.
