A Study in the Crimes of the Medical Practice without License - Case of Oriental Medicine's use of Ultrasounds -

무면허의료행위에 대한 형사법적 쟁점 - 한의사의 초음파기기 사용을 중심으로 -

Recently, there has been fierce argument between oriental and western doctors in the medical field. The use of medical devices has particularly come to the fore lately. Appropriate medical devices are required to diagnose and treat patients' conditions or illnesses accurately. At issue recently in medical device sector are diagnostic instruments using radiation, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, IPL(Intense Pulse Light), and instruments used for tonometry. Relating to this issue, Association of Korean Oriental Medicine and The Association of Korean Medicine are sharply opposed. It is predicted that more accusations of this kind will be seen in the future. As oriental medicine contends, ultrasonic imaging itself seems to cause no harm to humans and its use may have an advantage for national health. The use of western diagnostic equipment can expand the diagnostic range of oriental doctors. However, unless new legislation is made, it is against the law for oriental doctors to use this equipment. Both law and medical science require grounds and predictability on the correctness of a decision and all of its consequences. Additionally, oriental medicine's use of ultrasounds and other medical devices should be established by standards and grounds which make same the diagnosis with repetition. Therefore, the scope of oriental medicine can be expanded following a revision of the Oriental Medicine Promotion Act and it is estimated that the state of national health will be greatly improved by the mutual respect of both sides of the health profession.