| Course | INHE 3004 Legal and Ethical Issues in Integrative Health Care |
|---|---|
| Week | Week 3 |
| Paper type | Scope brief |
| Length | About 530 words, 4 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Walden University |
| Program | BS in Integrative Health |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for INHE 3004 Week 3
May a California Acupuncturist Draw a Blood Panel or Prescribe an Herbal Formula? A Scope Brief Ruling on Two Client Requests From the Practice Act's Own Words
Student Name
Walden University
INHE 3004: Legal and Ethical Issues in Integrative Health Care
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
May a California Acupuncturist Draw a Blood Panel or Prescribe an Herbal Formula? A Scope Brief Ruling on Two Client Requests From the Practice Act's Own Words
The Answer
A licensed acupuncturist in California may prescribe an herbal formula, because the practice act names herbs among the things the license authorizes. The act does not authorize drawing blood or ordering a blood panel, so the acupuncturist should refer that request to a physician or another clinician whose license covers laboratory testing. The rest of this brief shows how both rulings follow from the act's definition of acupuncture (California Legislative Information, 2026a) and its list of authorized modalities (California Legislative Information, 2026b).
The Requests
A client of a licensed acupuncturist asks for two things in one visit. First, she wants a blood panel to check her iron and thyroid levels, because she has felt tired for months. Second, she wants an herbal formula for the same fatigue.
The Governing Text
Two sections of California's Business and Professions Code control. Section 4927 defines acupuncture as the stimulation of points on or near the body's surface by inserting needles, to prevent or modify the perception of pain or to normalize physiological functions, including electroacupuncture, cupping and moxibustion. Section 4937 states what an acupuncturist's license authorizes: the practice of acupuncture, and performing or prescribing Asian massage, acupressure, breathing techniques, exercise, heat, cold, magnets, nutrition, diet, herbs, plant, animal and mineral products, and dietary supplements to promote, maintain and restore health. Section 4937 also excludes from "plant, animal, and mineral products" any synthetic compounds, controlled substances or dangerous drugs.
Ruling 1: The Herbal Formula
The formula falls inside section 4937. Herbs are named expressly, and a formula of naturally occurring plant material is a "plant product" under the section's own definition, provided it contains nothing synthetic and no controlled substance or dangerous drug. The acupuncturist may prescribe it. The section adds that nothing in it prevents unlicensed people from recommending the same modalities, so the authorization is permissive rather than exclusive.
Ruling 2: The Blood Panel
The blood panel falls outside both sections. Drawing blood involves a needle, but section 4927's definition of acupuncture describes needles inserted to stimulate points for pain or physiological function, not to collect a specimen. Section 4937's list of authorized modalities contains no laboratory testing, specimen collection or diagnostic orders. Because a practice act defines what a license permits, an act's silence on a procedure is not permission. The acupuncturist should tell the client that a blood panel is outside the license and refer her to her physician.
The Referral, Not Only the Refusal
The client's fatigue has lasted months, and iron deficiency and thyroid disease are common treatable causes that need laboratory testing to identify. A referral therefore serves the client as well as the law. The acupuncturist can continue to treat with herbs while the physician investigates, provided the formula does not interact with anything the physician later prescribes. Telling the physician about the herbal formula, with the client's agreement, would let that check happen. Ethical guidance treats this kind of coordination as part of avoiding harm, not an extra courtesy (Beauchamp & Childress, 2019).
References
Beauchamp, T. L., & Childress, J. F. (2019). Principles of biomedical ethics (8th ed.). Oxford University Press.
California Legislative Information. (2026a). Business and Professions Code section 4927. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC§ionNum=4927
California Legislative Information. (2026b). Business and Professions Code section 4937. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC§ionNum=4937
What the INHE 3004 Week 3 instructions ask for
Scope of practice briefs ask students to determine whether a particular credential, in a particular state, permits a specific act. Prompts usually supply a practitioner and one or more client requests, and ask students to locate the practice act and rule on each request from its text. Instructors look for an answer stated early and supported by the statute's definitions and lists. Briefs that discuss scope in general, rely on professional association websites rather than the statute, or treat any act not expressly forbidden as permitted usually earn less credit than briefs that rule from the text and explain how silence is read.
How this INHE 3004 Week 3 example is built
The brief answers both questions in its opening paragraph and cites the two governing sections. It sets out the client's two requests, then summarizes the statutory definition of acupuncture and the list of authorized modalities, including the exclusion of synthetic and controlled substances. Ruling 1 applies the list to the herbal formula. Ruling 2 reads the definition of acupuncture closely to show why drawing blood is outside it and explains why a practice act's silence is not permission. A final section turns the refusal into a referral, explaining why testing matters for the client's fatigue. Both statute sections are quoted closely enough that a reader could check every ruling against them. The client's two requests are kept in the order she made them.
INHE 3004 Week 3 rubric: what earns full marks
Instructors generally reward an answer stated first and proven from the text, and the opening paragraph secures that share. Accurate summary of the definition and the authorization list earns substantial credit. The second ruling carries the most weight, since reading the definition of acupuncture precisely, rather than assuming any needle use is covered, is the analytical core. Explaining how a practice act's silence is read shows understanding of how scope works. Pairing the refusal with a referral shows the student keeps the client's welfare in view. Accurate citations for both statute sections and the principles text complete the brief. Close paraphrase of the statute, with section numbers, lets an instructor verify each ruling quickly.
INHE 3004 Week 3 help: mistakes that cost marks
Find the practice act for the credential and state in your prompt, using the legislature's own site. Copy the definition of the practice and the list of what the license authorizes. Answer each request in a sentence before you explain. For anything not on the list, explain why silence does not mean permission. Pair every refusal with a referral that meets the client's need. If locating the right sections is slowing you down, a sample brief for your credential and state can show where to look. Keep the client's requests in the order she made them, and rule on each separately. Keep each ruling to one paragraph.
Get a INHE 3004 Week 3 example written to your instructions
Scope rules differ state to state, so the brief is only as good as the state you name. Include it, the credential and the act in question with your prompt and rubric, and a custom brief arrives inside 24-48h, the first at no cost. Nothing in it tells a practitioner what they may lawfully do; it models what the paper has to argue.
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INHE 3004 Week 3 questions, answered
Where can I find a free INHE 3004 Week 3 sample paper?
The full scope brief on the two client requests appears on this page.
May a California acupuncturist prescribe herbs?
Yes. The practice act expressly authorizes prescribing herbs and other natural products.
May the acupuncturist draw a blood panel?
No. The act defines acupuncture as needles placed to stimulate points and lists no laboratory testing.
Does silence in a practice act mean permission?
No. A practice act defines what a license permits, so an act it does not mention is not authorized.
What should the acupuncturist do about the blood test?
Refer the client to her physician, since months of fatigue warrant testing for treatable causes.