Portugal has regulated Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) following the guidelines of World Health Organization Strategy for Traditional Medicine. The regulatory process started in 2003 and its now completed in 2018. The Portuguese authorities have regulated TCM practitioners, clinics and education. The process met some challenges that are still being addressed and will continue to be in forthcoming years. There are aspects, regarding regulation, that need further development and clarification, namely the typology of products to be prescribed and their quality/safety standards. Another topic of interest for debate are the educational standards, both at an undergraduate, postgraduate and CPD levels. Another area of paramount importance is research and development. Institute of Traditional Medicine of Portugal and Faculty of Pharmacy of Lisbon University, as Portuguese representatives in ISO TC/249, alongside with a network of partners, both at a domestic and international levels, are developing a comprehensive research framework that will highly contribute to the objective of globalizing traditional medicine.

Frederico Carvalho,Portuguese Federation of Traditional Medicine Schools