Note: This article was originally published in the Autumn/Winter 2023 edition of our On Call newsletter and has not been updated.
2016
- June 2016 – The College met with the Ministry of Health to propose regulatory changes including removing lists of drugs and laboratory tests, replacing the lists with the ability to prescribe and administer drugs and order laboratory tests in accordance with the midwifery scope of practice
2017
- September 2017 – The College received a request from then Minister of Health Eric Hoskins, requesting the College submit changes that would lead to increased access to laboratory tests and expanding the drugs and substances midwives can prescribe and administer.
2018
- January 2018 – The College made a submission to the Ministry requesting that the list of drugs and substances in the current Designated Drugs Regulation be rescinded to instead allow midwives access to any drug or substance approved by Health Canada, within the scope of midwifery practice. We heard at this time that the Ministry was not willing to move from lists to broad prescribing and would only consider including categories of drugs and substances in the drug regulation.
- Note: Our submissions about laboratory tests and designated drugs are considered separately by the Ministry of Health because they are part of two separate pieces of legislation. The Designated Drugs Regulation is under the Midwifery Act, 1991, and the list of approved laboratory tests is included in the Laboratory and Specimen Collection Centre Licensing Act, 1990.
- Note: Our submissions about laboratory tests and designated drugs are considered separately by the Ministry of Health because they are part of two separate pieces of legislation. The Designated Drugs Regulation is under the Midwifery Act, 1991, and the list of approved laboratory tests is included in the Laboratory and Specimen Collection Centre Licensing Act, 1990.
- June 2018 – General election and change in government.
2019
- May 2019 – The College received a letter from then Minister of Health Christine Elliott requesting that the College amend the Designated Drugs Regulation made under the Midwifery Act, 1991 to include categories of drugs and substances.
- September 2019 – The College’s Council proposed changes to the Designated Drugs Regulation and approved sending the proposal to the public for a 60-day public consultation. Following conversations with the Ministry, the College’s proposal was for the regulation to refer to categories of drugs. The consultation was open until November 2019.
- December 2019 – Council received the results of the public consultation and submitted the proposed Designated Drugs Regulation to the Ministry.
2020
- March 2020 – Policy changes did not proceed during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2022
- November 2022 – College of Midwives of Ontario Registrar Kelly Dobbin met with Dr. Karima Velji, Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief of Nursing and Professional Practice in the fall. The College followed up from this meeting in November to share our public-interest argument for expanding the laboratory tests midwives can order, and the drugs and substances that midwives can prescribe and administer.
2023
- February – March 2023 – The College Registrar and Council Chair wrote to Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones to share our proposal for expanding the laboratory tests midwives can order, and the drugs and substances that midwives can prescribe and administer within the midwifery scope of practice. The Minister advised the College that the government has started work towards expanding midwives’ authority to order additional laboratory tests and allowing midwives to perform certain point of care tests. The College thanked the Minister for this commitment and continued to share evidence regarding proposed changes to the Designated Drugs Regulation.
- March 2023 – The College submitted to the Ministry of Health the list of laboratory tests, approved at the March Council meeting, to be included in Schedule 2 of the General Regulation under the Laboratory and Specimen Collection Centre Licensing Act, 1990.
- April 2023 – The College received a letter from Assistant Deputy Minister Dr. Karima Velji directing the College to update the current Designated Drugs Regulation by expanding the list of drugs and substances authorized to be prescribed and administered by midwives in the current regulation. The letter encouraged the College to submit a proposal as soon as possible.
- July 2023 – The College’s Council approved the proposed Designated Drugs and Substances Regulation for submission to the Ministry. Council also decided to seek approval from the Minister to exempt the College from holding another 60-day public consultation as the list had not fundamentally changed from the one Council had approved and consulted on in 2019.
- August 2023 – The College submitted the new proposed Designated Drugs and Substances Regulation to the Ministry for consideration.
- September 2023 – Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones granted her approval to waive the 60-day consultation, citing unique circumstance and the proposed regulation amendments’ consistency with the College’s submission in 2019.
- October 2023 – The Ministry launched their three-week consultation on the proposed changes to the Designated Drug Regulation.
- December 2023 – The College and the Ministry met to discuss the feedback received from the public consultation.
2024
- The College expects that the proposed Designated Drugs and Substances Regulation will be implemented early in 2024. We will continue to communicate with midwives and the public to share information as it becomes available and ensure the safe implementation of the new regulation.