Health Professions and Occupations Act

On July 16, 2025, Cabinet approved the regulations to bring the HPOA into force on April 1, 2026. Additionally, the Minister of Health, through Ministerial Orders, approved new profession regulations for all currently regulated health professions, effective April 1, 2026, as well as psychotherapy, clinical perfusion, respiratory therapy, radiation therapy and medical laboratory technology, effective November 29, 2027. The approved regulations also include the Regulated Health Practitioners Regulation, which includes restricted activities and other information pertinent to interpreting the profession regulations.  

For additional information on the Health Professions and Occupations Act and related regulations, please review the HPOA Q&A document (PDF, 152KB).

Health Profession Regulations Under the HPOA

The HPOA continues British Columbia’s shared scope of practice and restricted activities model for regulated health professions. This regulatory model was designed to enable inter-professional practice and team-based care, and to balance public safety and consumer choice. Some aspects of the scope of practice of a regulated health profession may overlap or be shared with those of other regulated health professions.

The regulations for the regulated health professions are grouped by college rather than having individual regulations for every profession. Please contact the appropriate regulatory college for additional information on interpreting scope of practice and restricted activities for a particular profession.

Note: The profession regulations should be viewed alongside the Regulated Health Practitioners Regulation as this regulation contains a restricted activities table, as well as information on orders, authorizations, and exemptions.

Regulatory College:	Professions Regulated:	Regulation Under the HPOA:
College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC (CPSBC)	Medical Practitioners Podiatrists Clinical Perfusionists (2027) Respiratory Therapists (2027) Radiation Therapists (2027) Medical Laboratory Technologists (2027)	Medical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Professionals Regulation
BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM)	Nurse Practitioners Registered Nurses Registered Psychiatric Nurses Licensed Practical Nurses Midwives	Nurses and Midwives Regulation
BC College of Oral Health Professionals (BCCOHP)	Dentists Dental Hygienists Dental Technicians Denturists	Oral Health Professionals Regulation
College of Pharmacists of BC (CPBC)	Pharmacists Pharmacy Technicians	Pharmacists Regulation
College of Complementary Health Professionals of BC (CCHPBC)	Chiropractors Registered Massage Therapists Naturopathic Physicians Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists	Complementary Health Professionals Regulation
College of Health and Care Professionals of BC (CHCPBC)	Audiologists Dietitians Hearing Instrument Practitioners Occupational Therapists Opticians Optometrists Physical Therapists Psychologists Speech Language Pathologists Psychotherapists (2027)	Health and Care Professionals Regulation

Purpose of the HPOA

The HPOA aims to improve public protection and safety in the health system, by doing the following:

• Establishing the Health Professions and Occupations Regulatory Oversight Office (HPOROO) to ensure regulatory colleges are focused on patient safety and the public interest.
• Enhancing a commitment to cultural safety and humility, through requiring colleges to offer Indigenous support workers for Indigenous peoples going through the discipline process.
• Creating an independent disciplinary hearing process that provides support services and support workers for people going through the process.
• Including all instances of disciplinary actions and summary protection orders against a health professional on the public registry following the disciplinary hearing process.
• Moving to fully appointed college boards, whose board members are selected based on merit and competency.

The HPOA addresses discrimination and Indigenous-specific racism in the health care system throughout the legislation, and there are numerous provisions to counteract discrimination or inequity.

• Creating a new legal duty for both licensees and certain non-licensees to report it if they believe a licensee has engaged in discrimination.
• Enabling the person making a complaint to request that their identity be protected during the investigation of a regulated health practitioner.
• Enabling trauma-informed practices to inform disciplinary hearing proceedings, such as physical barriers during hearing processes, and written cross-examinations.
• Requiring regulatory colleges to provide the option of support workers, nominated by Indigenous governing bodies, to assist Indigenous individuals in navigating the complaints and discipline process in a culturally safe manner.
• Requiring colleges to consult with Indigenous governing bodies on any bylaws which are particularly relevant to Indigenous peoples.

Regulation of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Professions and Psychotherapy Under the HPOA

In April 2017, four diagnostic and therapeutic (D&T) professions (clinical perfusion, respiratory therapy, radiation therapy and medical laboratory technology) were designated as health professions under the HPA. In July 2024, psychotherapy was also designated as a health profession. However, regulating these professions was put on hold until the HPOA could be implemented.

There are now regulations for the D&T professions and psychotherapy, which will come into effect on November 29, 2027. Psychotherapy will become regulated by the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC, and the D&T professions will become regulated by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC. This transition timeline will allow the colleges time to prepare for and begin regulating these practitioners (e.g., development of bylaws, etc.).

For future information on the regulation of psychotherapy or the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC, please monitor their website as information becomes available (College of Health and Care Professionals of BC).

For future information on the regulation of D&T professions or the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC, please monitor their website as information becomes available (College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC).