Can I prescribe herbs with my license?
Whether an acupuncture license lets you include herbs in your practice isn't automatic — it depends on both which program track you complete and which state you plan to practice in, so it's a fair thing to want cleared up before you commit to a path.
Whether an acupuncture license lets you include herbs in your practice isn't automatic — it depends on both which program track you complete and which state you plan to practice in, so it's a fair thing to want cleared up before you commit to a path.
The program distinction (Five Branches, and typical of TCM schools generally):
| Program | Includes Chinese herbal medicine training? |
|---|---|
| DAcHM / MAcHM (Doctor & Master of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine) | Yes — herbology is built into the curriculum |
| DAc / MAc (acupuncture-only dual-degree) | No — this track is designed for those practicing outside California or for MDs/licensed Western-medicine practitioners who only need acupuncture authorization |
The state licensing distinction:
- California — herbs and acupuncture are covered together. Graduates need herbal training in their program in order to even sit for the CALE (California Acupuncture Licensing Exam), and passing it authorizes both.
- DC, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont — these states license acupuncture only by default. To add herbs to your legal scope of practice there, you additionally need Chinese Herbology certification and a pass on the NCBAHM (formerly NCCAOM) Chinese Herbology exam — a separate credential from the acupuncture license itself.
- Alabama, Oklahoma, South Dakota — currently have no acupuncture practice act or licensing board at all.
One terminology note worth having: licensed acupuncturists don't "prescribe" herbs the way a physician prescribes a pharmaceutical — the correct term in most state practice acts is recommend or dispense a formula within your scope of practice. It's a small distinction, but it's the one your state board will actually use.
(Source: Five Branches University's own published state-licensure guidance, checked 08/2026 — state rules do change, so always confirm current requirements with the specific state board before relying on this.)
Do you already know which state you're hoping to practice in?
Sources
- Five Branches University — Accreditation checked 2026-08
- Five Branches University — Accreditation Degrees Programs checked 2026-08
- Five Branches University — Consumer Information checked 2026-08
- Five Branches University — Dac Mac Dual Degree Program checked 2026-08
- The school's own published catalog and website checked 2026-07
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