Read our digital newsletter for information about expanded access to laboratory and point of care tests for midwifery clients; changes to the Designated Drugs and Substances Regulation; why the College rescinded the Blood Borne Virus Standard; practice advice; the recording of our recent webinar on ableism in health care; Board highlights; and more!
Expanded Access to Laboratory and Point of Care Tests for Midwifery Clients
On December 15, 2025, Schedule 2 of the General Regulation under the Laboratory and Specimen Collection Centre Licensing Act, 1990 was expanded to improve access to laboratory and point of care tests (POCTs) for midwifery clients.
The updated regulation adds new laboratory tests to the current schedule, and also adds an additional category of POCTs to the list that midwives may order or perform on their own authority. Access to this expanded list of tests improves the quality and timeliness of care for clients.
Driven by Data to Improve Access to Midwifery Care
Midwifery in Ontario is at a tipping point. At the close of our last fiscal year, on March 31, 2025, there were 1,092 registered midwives in Ontario, who oversaw approximately 26,000 births. Over the past few years, we’ve identified a notably high number of midwives leaving the profession in Ontario, primarily to practise in another Canadian jurisdiction. In that time, we have not seen adequate numbers of midwives entering practice in Ontario to meet the needs of midwifery clients.
The Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991, charges the College with the duty to work with the Minister of Health to ensure that the people of Ontario have access to adequate numbers of qualified, skilled, and competent midwives. This is a responsibility we take seriously, and we have implemented many changes within our regulatory scope.
Blood Borne Viruses Standard – Rescinded
The College of Midwives of Ontario Blood Borne Viruses Standard was rescinded on January 1, 2026. The Board made this decision following recent policy changes made by other health regulators and after conducting an equity review.
Read more about the decision, and take a look at the College’s guidance for midwives in the new practice advice below.
Practice Advice:
Communicable Illness and Transmission Prevention
Midwives, like all health care providers, must do their part to reduce health care associated infections. These infections contribute to excess morbidity and mortality among Ontarians and are associated with longer hospitals stays and higher costs to the public health system. A large proportion of these infections are preventable.
Midwives must understand the factors that affect their risk of occupational exposure to infectious disease, and mitigate the risk of transmission of blood borne viruses during exposure-prone procedures to prevent health care associated infections.
Midwives have the knowledge, skills, and judgement to protect themselves and their clients from disease transmission through all aspects of client care. It is a midwife’s professional responsibility to maintain current knowledge of disease transmission, infection prevention and control (IPAC) best practice, and reporting requirements across all areas of infectious disease prevention.
Reminder for Midwives: RSV Monoclonal Antibody Added to Designated Drugs and Substances Regulation
On Friday, October 31, 2025, the government advised the College that the Designated Drugs and Substances Regulation was amended. The amendment added a single substance, RSV monoclonal antibody to the existing regulation, permitting midwives to both prescribe and administer by injection an additional immunization to prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) transmission in newborns.
Resource: Midwives Recognize and Respond to Family Violence
The Canadian Association of Midwives and the National Council of Indigenous Midwives, in partnership with McMaster University, have published educational materials to build the capacity of midwives to recognize and respond safely to family violence. We encourage midwives to click the link below to review their practical resources.
We’re sharing this resource with midwives based on a recommendation from the Domestic Violence Death Review Committee. The Committee recently reviewed 15 deaths from intimate partner violence or domestic violence with the aim of reducing the risk of harm to those who experience or who are at risk of domestic violence and intimate partner violence.
New Tool for Assessing Competency in Class Changes in Effect
Midwives requesting a class change from inactive to general, and former registrants applying to the College, may be asked to complete a competency-based assessment as part of their application, as the result of a new program that came into effect on January 1, 2026.
Competency-based assessment is a tool that can objectively measure a midwife’s knowledge, skills, and judgement and inform a Registration Committee Panel’s requalification plan that is specific to the applicant. Read more about who it affects.
On December 3, the College was pleased to partner with the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario to host a webinar on Addressing Ableism in Health Care, presented by Dr. Hilary Brown (University of Toronto). Held on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the session offered an important opportunity to reflect on how health systems – including midwifery care – can more effectively identify, interrupt, and prevent ableism.
Practice Advice: Measles Immunization
Measles is a vaccine-preventable disease. In Ontario, occurrences of measles have been rare historically, owing to the successful elimination of measles in Canada and high immunization coverage over the past decades. However, the landscape has changed dramatically over the past year.
The Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccine is the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles. Midwives are able to administer the MMR vaccine as per the Designated Drugs and Substances Regulation, and can ask their clients if they are up to date on their vaccine.
Board Highlights
The College of Midwives of Ontario Board met on November 5, 2025. The Board made governance changes, discussed College’s 2026-29 Strategic Framework, rescinded the Blood Borne Virus Standard, and more.
Registrar-CEO Quarterly Report for the November 2025 Board Meeting
In advance of the College’s Board Meetings, the Registrar-CEO prepares her report to help assure the Board that the College operates effectively and achieves its strategic goals, and that the Registrar performs per the expected duties outlined in the Board’s Governance Policies.
