Expanding the roles of health professionals' practices under review in Ontario
In Ontario, the government is seeking to ease access to care and alleviate pressures on the primary care system by expanding the roles of various health professionals. This initiative, as stated by Health Minister Sylvia Jones, aims to make it faster for people to access healthcare services.
One of the key areas of focus is the expansion of pharmacists' scope of practice. Pharmacists are being considered to assess and prescribe for 14 more minor ailments, and may be permitted to administer more publicly funded vaccines and perform point-of-care tests, such as strep throat testing.
The proposed changes also extend to psychologists. The government is consulting on the possibility of granting psychologists with specialized training in psychopharmacology the authority to prescribe certain medications for mental health conditions, and even consider giving them the ability to order some diagnostic tests. Ontario is also considering letting psychologists prescribe anti-depressants.
Moreover, the Ontario Ministry of Health is looking into expanding the scope of practice for certain health professional groups to perform specific operative procedures, such as laser therapy for treating cataracts and glaucoma. While the specific professional groups targeted by this policy, such as optometrists, ophthalmologists, or other allied health professionals, are not detailed explicitly in the available sources, it's clear that the government is looking to broaden the range of healthcare services that can be provided within the community.
The government is also considering granting dental hygienists, physiotherapists, and chiropractors the ability to order and perform some diagnostic procedures such as X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans.
The report, written by Allison Jones for The Canadian Press, was first published on September 17, 2025. These proposed changes in Ontario's healthcare system involve giving more authority to several types of health professionals, with the ultimate goal of making healthcare more accessible and efficient for the people of Ontario.
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