Acupuncture Injection Therapy Certificate of Qualification (AIT COQ) Program Application

Dear Instructor:

Thank you for your interest in applying to become an Acupuncture Injection Therapy Certificate of Qualification (AIT COQ) approved instructor for a program submitted for review with the ASA. If you have questions about the application below, please email ait@asacu.org.

The application process is paperless and requires the applicant to complete the application form and submit it electronically along with the $350 payment and all required documents. Paper or faxed applications are not accepted. Please ensure that all sections of the application are completed and all required documents are submitted at the time of application.

On the 'Content Outline' page of the application, it is essential for the applicant to provide detailed program content of their program within the 'Topic Descriptions' section. This section should include comprehensive descriptions of the methods, techniques, and procedures included in the program. Furthermore, the applicant must choose the corresponding 'CLO'  from the drop-down menu to appropriately categorize each topic. A complete list of the  Course Learning Objectives (CLOs), which outline the major areas of knowledge and skills assessed, is provided on the following page for reference. This ensures that the application is thorough and aligns with the review standards.

Below are some helpful guidelines:

• Be sure to reference the Acupuncture Injection Therapy CLOs (see below) when entering the Topic Description section within Content Outline. 
• Only active learning hours can be counted towards the sum of the hours. Breaks/meals do not count towards the total. 
• When calculating total hours on the Program Outline, quarter-hour increments (0.25 or 0.75) are rounded down to the nearest half-hour (e.g., 15.25 = 15)

A “complete” application consists of all the required documents and payment:

• ASA Acupuncture Injection Therapy COQ Program Application (required-complete below)
• Instructor’s professional resume or curriculum vitae (required)
• Sample program evaluation (required)
• Sample Attendance Record (required)
• Sample Worksheet (required)
• Sample Certificate of Completion (required-should not have ASA, NCBAHM or NAITT branding nor PDAs/CEUs)
• Sample advertisement (optional)

Complete applications are added to the review queue and reviewed in the order they are received.  Applications may take approximately 4 to 6 weeks to process. Incomplete applications slow the process and are the responsibility of the applicant to complete. Once the course is approved, the applicant is notified via email. An approval of an instructor and their curriculum are valid for one (1) year from the date of the approval. If an instructor would like to submit more than one curriculum, a new application will need to be submitted with each class and an additional fee will be charged. In addition, if an instructor would like to have other instructors approved to teach their course, a new application must be submitted for each instructor with the same fee paid.

We would like to thank you for your support and affiliation with the ASA. The applicant’s contribution to the acupuncture and herbal medicine community is much appreciated. 

Sincerely,
American Society of Acupuncturists

Course Learning Objectives:

By the end of the course, each practitioner will: 

1. Demonstrate understanding of injection therapy and the appropriate indications for using IT in treatment. 
2. Demonstrate knowledge of the terminology and nomenclature used in injection therapy.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of the importance of understanding the specific state’s scope of practice, regulations, and malpractice insurance.  
4. Demonstrates knowledge of appropriate application and prescribing of injection therapies and treatment. 
5. Demonstrates knowledge of appropriate injection sites and types of injection therapy. 
6. Demonstrates understanding of appropriate application and prescription of injection therapy substances, indications, cautions, contraindication and benefits.  
7. Demonstrates an understanding of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and biotransformation of injectables.
8. Demonstrates knowledge consistent with USP 797 and FDA regulations regarding the scope of administration, compounding and batching, aseptic procedures, training  and competencies, preparations, chemical compatibility,  and contamination, labeling, storage, and record-keeping,  per state requirements.
9. Demonstrates ability to evaluate and modify treatment plans based on patient response to injection therapy.
10. Demonstrates knowledge of appropriate site selection(s) for injection therapy.  
11. Demonstrates safe and appropriate administration of injection therapy including integumentary, components,  tendomuscular system, and neuroanatomy including  intradermal, muscular, and subcutaneous injection.  
12. Demonstrates knowledge of incident management including but not limited to allergic reactions, anaphylaxis, vasovagal syncope, and other adverse responses, including the reporting of adverse events. 
13. Demonstrates knowledge of pharmacology, differential diagnosis, indications, contraindications, and differential diagnosis.
14. Demonstrates understanding of equipment and procedures required to safely perform injection therapy.