Practitioner Certifications
To qualify as a BioSpec Practitioner with Professional Membership privileges, a simple registration form must be completed, and practitioner license verified. Registered BioSpec Practitioners gain exclusive access to resources and free literature, reseller prices, member-only discounts and other incentives to offer patients below-MSRP rates. BioSpec also offers professional members free samples for their patients.
The majority of BioSpec’s professional members are currently GPs, DOs, NDs, Nutritionists, Chiropractors, and Acupuncturists.
Below is a list of licensed practitioner disciplines and corresponding abbreviations for accredited healthcare professionals currently recognized by BioSpec’s Professional Membership Program. Our goal is to expand our community of participating healthcare professionals to improve awareness of integrated nutritional supplementation options.
If you know of another certified title that should be on our list of licensed healthcare professionals, please contact us at info@biospecnutritionals.com and we will add it to the list.
What types of licensed practitioners are most associated with BioSpec?
| Abbreviation | Title |
| ACP | Agile Certified Practitioner |
| CNS | Certified Nutritionist Specialist |
| CCN | Certified Clinical Nutritionist |
| CCH | Certified Classical Homeopath |
| DC | Chiropractor |
| DHM | Diploma in Homeopathic Medicine |
| DO | Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (holistic, musculoskeletal focus) |
| DOM | Doctor of Oriental Medicine (see variations) |
| GP | General Practitioner |
| LMT | Licensed Massage Therapist |
| ND | Naturopath |
| NMD | Naturopathic Medical Doctor |
| MD | Doctor of Medicine |
| LAc | Acupuncturist (see variations) |
| PA | Physician Assistant |
| PhD | Doctor of Philosophy, or Doctorate in Specific Field (see variations) |
| PT | Physical Therapist |
| RMT | Registered Massage Therapist |
| RPh | Registered Pharmacist |
| RN | Registered Nurse |
Accredited Disciplines in Acupuncture
Figuring out whether an acupuncturist is licensed is not as easy as it looks. Although the most common degree designation for an acupuncturist is LAc, some states use different titles or abbreviations to signify that their practitioners are licensed.
Listed below are some of the most commonly used abbreviations (and their titles) in the acupuncture and Oriental medicine profession.
| Abbreviation | Title |
| ABT | Asian Bodywork Therapist |
| AcD | Acupuncture Doctor (used in Canada) |
| AP | Acupuncture Physician (used in Florida) |
| CA, CAc | Certified Acupuncturist |
| CH | Chinese Herbalist |
| CT | Clinical Technician |
| DAc | Doctor of Acupuncture (used in Hawaii) |
| D. Acu | Doctor of Acupuncture (used in Rhode Island) |
| DACM | Doctorate of Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine |
| Dipl. ABT | Diplomate in Asian Bodywork Therapy |
| Dipl. Ac. | Diplomate in Acupuncture |
| Dipl. CH | Diplomate in Chinese Herbalism |
| Dipl. OM | Diplomate in Oriental Medicine |
| DNBAO | Diplomate, National Board of Acupuncture Orthopedics |
| DAOM | Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine |
| DOM | Doctor of Oriental Medicine |
| DTCM | Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine (used in Canada) |
| FIAMA | Fellow, International Academy of Medical Acupuncture |
| LAc, Lic. Ac. | Licensed Acupuncturist |
| MAOM | Master, Art of Oriental Medicine |
| MSOM | Master, Science of Oriental Medicine |
| MTCM | Master, Traditional Chinese Medicine |
| MTOM | Master, Traditional Oriental Medicine |
| OMD | Oriental Medicine Doctor |
| PhD | Doctor of Philosophy |
| RAc, Reg. Ac. | Registered Acupuncturist (used in Colorado and Canada) |
| R. TCM. H. | Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Herbalist (used in Canada) |
| R. TCM. P. | Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner (used in Canada) |
| TCMD | Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctor (used in Canada) |
Qualified PhD Practitioners
PhD is an abbreviation for Doctor of Philosophy. It can also refer to an academic degree, or professional doctorate with board certification, which can be awarded to individuals who have done advanced research into a particular subject. Therefore, holders of a PhD do not necessarily study philosophy, and having a doctoral degree does not necessarily mean they are board certified.
To serve as a licensed practitioner per BioSpec’s standards, there is a growing list of verified degree types that may qualify. Since institutions may award PhD’s in a number of fields, including the humanities, the hard sciences, the social sciences and education. The list below include a few examples.
| Abbreviation | Field of Study |
| PhD | Health Promotion and Education |
| PhD | Nutritional Sciences |
| PhD | Nutrition & Metabolism |
| PhD | Nutritional Biochemistry |
| PhD | Integrative and Functional Nutrition |
Other Qualified Healthcare Professionals
Clinical specialists may also register as a BioSpec Practitioner, although some specialists may not be as well-versed or comfortable offering nutritional supplementation guidance as other practitioners more. In such cases, we recommend patients defer to their Family Doctor or GP (General Practitioner), a DO (holistic doctor), certified nutritionist (CNS, CNN), or other qualified professional healthcare provider with a clinical background and understanding of nutritional science.
To learn more about certifications needed to qualify for Professional BioSpec Membership, contact us at info@biospecnutritionals.com or 1-800-825-7921.