Health Workforce Planning Branch

In Ontario, regulated health professions are governed under the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (RHPA) and health profession Acts (i.e., Medicine Act, 1991). This legislative framework establishes health regulatory colleges, which regulate the professions in the public interest. Health regulatory colleges are responsible for ensuring that regulated health professionals provide health services in a safe, professional and ethical manner. This includes, among other things, setting standards of practice for the profession and investigating complaints about members of the profession and, where appropriate, disciplining them.

The Health Professions Procedural Code, which is Schedule 2 to the RHPA, sets out a comprehensive set of rules that all health regulatory colleges must follow when registering new members, investigating complaints, and disciplining members of the profession. These rules ensure that health professional regulation in Ontario is open, transparent, accessible and fair for those seeking to become regulated health professionals, for the regulated health professionals who are governed by the health regulatory colleges, and in particular, for patients and members of the public, whom the legislative framework is meant to protect.

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Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology

Audiologists assess hearing and treat and prevent hearing problems to develop, maintain, rehabilitate or augment hearing and communication functions.

Speech-language pathologists assess speech and language functions and treat as well as prevent speech and language dysfunctions or disorders to develop, maintain, rehabilitate or augment oral motor or communicative functions.

• College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario
• Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Act, 1991

Chiropody and Podiatry

Chiropodists and podiatrists treat and prevent diseases, disorders or dysfunctions of the foot by therapeutic, orthotic or palliative means.  Chiropodists are allowed to cut into the subcutaneous tissues of the foot, prescribe drugs designated in the regulations and inject into the feet a substance set out in the regulations.

Podiatrists also treat and prevent diseases, disorders and dysfunctions of the foot by therapeutic, orthotic or palliative means. Podiatrists are allowed to communicate a diagnosis identifying a disease or disorder of the foot as the cause of a person's symptoms, cut into subcutaneous tissues of the foot and bony tissues of the forefoot, prescribe drugs set out in the regulations and inject into the feet a substance set out in the regulations.

• College of Chiropodists of Ontario
• Chiropody Act, 1991

Chiropractic

Chiropractors assess conditions related to the spine, nervous system and joints. They diagnose, prevent and treat, primarily by adjustment: (a) dysfunctions or disorders arising from the structures or functions of the spine and the effects of those dysfunctions or disorders on the nervous system; and (b) dysfunctions or disorders arising from the structures or functions of the joints.

• College of Chiropractors of Ontario
• Chiropractic Act, 1991

Dental Hygiene

Dental Hygienists assess teeth and adjacent tissues and treat by preventive and therapeutic means. They provide restorative and orthodontic procedures and services.

• College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario
• Dental Hygiene Act, 1991

Dental Technology

Dental technologists design, construct repair or alter dental prosthetic, restorative and orthodontic devices.

• College of Dental Technologists of Ontario
• Dental Technology Act, 1991

Dentistry

Dentists assess the physical condition of the oral-facial complex and diagnose, treat and prevent any disease, disorder or dysfunction of the oral-facial complex.

• Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario
• Dentistry Act, 1991

Denturism

Denturists design, construct, repair, alter, order and fit removable dentures.

• College of Denturists of Ontario
• Denturism Act, 1991

Dietetics

Dietitians assess nutrition and nutritional conditions and treat and prevent nutrition related disorders by nutritional means.

• College of Dietitians of Ontario
• Dietetics Act, 1991

Homeopathy

Homeopaths assess body system disorders and treat using homeopathic techniques to promote, maintain or restore health of individuals.

• College of Homeopaths of Ontario
• Homeopathy Act, 2007

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Kinesiology

Kinesiologists assess human movement and performance and rehabilitate and manage to maintain, rehabilitate or enhance movement and performance.

• College of Kinesiologists of Ontario
• Kinesiology Act, 2007

Massage Therapy

Massage therapists treat and prevent physical dysfunction and pain of the soft tissues and joints by manipulation to develop, maintain, rehabilitate or augment physical function or relieve pain.

• College of Massage Therapists of Ontario
• Massage Therapy Act, 1991

Medical Laboratory Technology

Medical Laboratory Technologists perform laboratory investigations on the human body or on specimens taken from the human body and evaluate the technical sufficiency of the investigations and their results.

• College of Medical Laboratory Technologists of Ontario
• Medical Laboratory Technology Act, 1991

Medical Radiation Technology

Medical radiation technologists use ionizing radiation, electromagnetism and other prescribed forms of energy for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, the evaluation of images and data relating to the procedures and the assessment of an individual before, during and after the procedures.

• College of Medical Radiation Technologists of Ontario
• Medical Radiation Technology Act, 1991

Medicine

Physicians assess the physical or mental condition of an individual and diagnose, treat and prevent any disease, disorder or dysfunction.

• College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario
• Medicine Act, 1991

Midwifery

Midwives assess and monitor women during pregnancy, labour and the post-partum period and their newborn babies. They provide care during normal pregnancy, labour and post-partum period and provide normal vaginal deliveries.

• College of Midwives of Ontario
• Midwifery Act, 1991

Naturopathy

Naturopaths assess diseases, disorders and dysfunctions, make naturopathic diagnoses and treat diseases, disorders and dysfunctions using naturopathic techniques to promote, maintain or restore health.

• College of Naturopaths of Ontario
• Naturopathy Act, 2007

Nursing

Registered nurses, registered practical nurses and nurse practitioners, promote health and treat health conditions by supportive, preventive, therapeutic, palliative and rehabilitative means in order to gain or maintain optimal function.

• College of Nurses of Ontario
• Nursing Act, 1991

Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapists assess function and adapt behaviour, and treat and prevent disorders which affect function or adaptive behaviour to develop, maintain, rehabilitate or augment function or adaptive behaviour in the areas of self-care, productivity and leisure.

• College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario
• Occupational Therapy Act, 1991

Opticianry

Opticians fit and adjust subnormal vision devices, contact lenses or eye glasses.

• College of Opticians of Ontario
• Opticianry Act, 1991

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Optometry

Optometrists assess the eye and vision system and diagnose, treat and prevent: (a) disorders of refraction; (b) sensory and oculomotor disorders and dysfunctions of the eye and vision system; and (c) prescribed diseases.

• College of Optometrists of Ontario
• Optometry Act, 1991

Pharmacy

The practice of pharmacy is (a) the custody, compounding, dispensing and prescribing of drugs; (b) the provision of health care aids and devices; (c) the provision of information and education related to the use of anything mentioned in (a) and (b) above; and (d) the promotion of health, prevention and treatment of disease, disorders and dysfunctions through monitoring and management of medication therapy.

• Ontario College of Pharmacists
• Pharmacy Act, 1991

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapists assess neuromuscular, musculoskeletal and cardio-respiratory systems; diagnose diseases or disorders associated with physical dysfunction, injury or pain; treat, rehabilitate and prevent relief of physical dysfunction, injury or pain; develop, maintain, rehabilitate or augment function; promote mobility.

• College of Physiotherapists of Ontario
• Physiotherapy Act, 1991

Psychology

Psychologists assess behavioural and mental conditions; diagnose neuropsychological disorders and dysfunctions and psychotic, neurotic and personality disorders and dysfunctions; prevent and treat behavioural and mental disorders and dysfunctions; maintain and enhance physical, intellectual, emotional, social and interpersonal functioning.Psychological associates are also regulated by this college.

• College of Psychologists of Ontario
• Psychology Act, 1991

Psychotherapy

Registered psychotherapists and registered mental health therapists assess and treat cognitive, emotional or behavioural disturbances by psychotherapeutic means, delivered through a therapeutic relationship based primarily on verbal or non-verbal communication.

• College of Registered Psychotherapists and Registered Mental Health Therapists of Ontario
• Psychotherapy Act, 2007

Respiratory Therapy

Respiratory therapists provide oxygen therapy, cardio-respiratory equipment monitoring and the assessment and treatment of cardio-respiratory and associated disorders to maintain or restore ventilation.

• College of Respiratory Therapists in Ontario
• Respiratory Therapy Act, 1991

Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture

Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists assess body system disorders through traditional Chinese medicine techniques and treat individuals using traditional Chinese medicine therapies to promote, maintain or restore health.

• College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of Ontario
• Traditional Chinese Medicine Act, 2006

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