The College of Midwives of Ontario Board held a special meeting on September 23, 2025. At this meeting, the Board voted unanimously to propose a regulatory amendment to the Ministry of Health to add the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) monoclonal antibody to the list of drugs and substances that midwives can prescribe and administer. Drugs and substances that midwives can prescribe and administer are listed in the Designated Drugs and Substances Regulation O.Reg. 188/24.
The Board considered the comments from the College’s 60-day public consultation. The comments from the consultation were entirely supportive of this amendment, with 81 respondents including feedback from the Association of Ontario Midwives, the Ontario Medical Association, midwives, other health care providers, members of the public, and others.
RSV is a serious, potentially life-threatening illness which leads to the hospitalization of newborns in Ontario every year, and monoclonal antibody immunization is currently recommended by National Advisory Committee on Immunizations (NACI) to prevent this disease. As directed by the Board, the College submitted the proposed changes to the Ministry with the hope that midwives can be part of the team providing this immunization to newborns as soon as possible.