Chinese medicine (CM) as a popular form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has been increasingly used in the Western world over the last three decades. While the importance of original research on quality, safety and efficacy of CM therapies is well argued and supported, there has been a general negligence of the role of education in protecting public safety, promoting CM as a form of evidence-based healthcare and improving the quality of clinical CM services. This study aimed to determine the essential practitioner capabilities to ensure the safe, competent and contemporary Chinese medicine clinical practice in complex healthcare systems such that of Australia. There are two major studies in this thesis: the workforce study and the capability postal survey. For the workforce study, a specific instrument with a coding system was developed and approved by the Chinese Medicine Registration Board of Victoria (CMRBVic) prior to the commencement of the data collection based on registration forms submitted by all practitioners registered with CMRBVic during the transitional (also known as grand-parenting) period. Findings from the workforce study provide comprehensive data on the current state of the Victorian CM workforce concerning their educational background, clinical experience and their current practice of CM. Findings of the capability postal survey represent a major step in the development of a capability-based curriculum that meets the needs of the Chinese medicine workforce. The findings of this study provide the basis for developing specific continuing professional educational programs that address knowledge and skill gaps such as communication, referral, research training and for some practitioners, basic biomedical sciences. In conclusion, this study, for the first time, provided the comprehensive data on the state of the Victorian CM workforce and CM practitioners' views on desired practitioner capabilities. A number of continuing professional education needs were identified and the successful implementation of these programs will contribute to the safe and competent CM practice and thus protect the public safety.