How Advocacy Works: Why Some of Our Work Happens Behind the Scenes

Advocacy is rarely as simple--or as fast--as any of us would like. As a professional association, ATCMA understands the frustration many in our community feel when change is happening around us and information seems limited. We want to take this opportunity to explain how advocacy work actually unfolds, why some conversations cannot be shared publicly in real time, and how ATCMA has been working consistently and strategically on behalf of the profession.

Why You Don’t Always Hear Everything Right Away

Much of effective advocacy happens through ongoing conversations with government ministries, regulators, and other stakeholders. These discussions often take place under non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) or within working processes that require confidentiality while options are still being explored.

While we would love to share every detail with our members and the broader TCM community, doing so prematurely can jeopardize trust, close doors, and ultimately weaken our ability to influence outcomes. Advocacy depends on maintaining relationships and credibility. Speaking publicly before the time is right can result in losing access to the very decision-makers we need to engage.

This does not mean nothing is happening. It often means important work is happening, but cannot yet be shared.

Advocacy Takes Time and Persistence

Policy and regulatory change is slow by nature. It requires careful analysis, accurate language, repeated engagement, and patience. There are rarely immediate wins, and progress often comes in incremental steps rather than dramatic announcements.

ATCMA has been actively working to push back against the removal of restricted activities since the issue first came to light in January 2024, when the proposed regulations were released for public consultation. At that time, ATCMA:

• Notified TCM professionals of the proposed changes
• Encouraged registrants to submit their own feedback
• Advised members to speak directly with their MLAs

This early engagement was intentional. Collective advocacy is strongest when associations and individual practitioners both participate.

Why Accuracy in Language Matters

ATCMA has been careful and deliberate in how we describe the current regulatory changes. While some have used the term “deregulation,” we have not, because it is not technically accurate. Precision matters in advocacy, especially when communicating with government and regulators. Inaccurate or overly broad language can undermine arguments and weaken credibility.

We explain this in more brief in our blog on why this is not deregulation, which you can read here, alongside actions you can take: https://atcma.org/blog/3-ways-to-act-to-regain-our-restricted-activity-of-prescribing-chinese-herbs

That said, we recognize and respect that different groups and individuals may take different positions or use different language to express their concerns. Each TCM organization has a role to play, and diversity of voices reflects the depth of care people have for this profession.

Advocacy Is Not One Issue at a Time

While regulatory changes related to restricted activities are understandably front of mind, ATCMA is working on multiple complex files simultaneously, including:

• NNHPD (Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate) work, where important changes have been paused but remain very much in process
• ICBC and other insurers, including ongoing dialogue around coverage, policies, and practitioner scope recognition
• CCHPBC Bylaws and Professional Standards, where proposed changes have direct implications for registrants
• Broader structural and implementation concerns related to the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA)

Each of these files requires research, careful positioning, relationship management, and sustained follow-up, often over months or years.

At the same time, ATCMA continues to deliver tangible member benefits, including:

• High-quality continuing education courses
• Conferences and professional development opportunities
• Valuable member discounts and partnerships

Balancing advocacy with services is an ongoing effort, and both are central to ATCMA’s mandate.

Limited Resources, Significant Commitment

Much of this work is carried out with limited financial resources and a significant amount of volunteer time from board members, committee members, and advisors who are also full-time practitioners, educators, and professionals. This commitment reflects a deep belief in the importance of protecting the profession and serving the public safely and responsibly.

A Shared Goal, Different Roles

ATCMA’s role is to advocate strategically, responsibly, and accurately on behalf of the profession. Sometimes we can do that loudly, sometimes quietly, but always with the long-term protection of TCM practice and public safety in mind.

We know it can be difficult not to see every step of the process. We ask for your trust that when we cannot share details, it is not due to inaction, but because sharing too soon could compromise the work itself.

We remain committed to keeping our members informed as soon as it is appropriate and safe to do so, and to continuing this work with persistence, professionalism, and care.

Members Can Reach Out to Us Directly

If you are an ATCMA member, and you want to have more information, you can reach out to us! We try to stay on top of all the ways people communicate through social media and chat groups, but it's a lot, and it's not always possible (or feasible) for us to engage that way. ATCMA members can email us directly, and we will get back to you. 

Thank you for your engagement, your advocacy, and your ongoing commitment to the TCM profession.

— ATCMA