About the standard
The Re-Entering Medical Practice or Changing Scope of Practice standard was published in January 2010 and requires review to clarify expectations and definitions that apply to regulated members in different phases of their practice. Changes to the standard include added terminology, expectations and clauses relating to adding services, changing scope and returning to practice. Other additions also clarify registration requirements for permits that have been inactive for more than 90 days.
What’s changed?
- Addition of a timeframe to ensure currency of practice—services that have not been provided for three or more consecutive years are considered a change in scope;
- Addition of clauses to provide clarity around requirements for returning to practice or changing scope as well as registration requirements for permits that have been inactive for more than 90 days; and
- Updated and simplified terminology to better communicate what actions are considered a change in scope.
View the draft standard
For your convenience, the draft standard has clean and marked copies available.
All ResourcesYour opinion matters
Changes to CPSA’s Standards of Practice impact your day-to-day practice. Your feedback is important to us, as it helps us develop clear, reasonable expectations and helpful, applicable resources. We appreciate the time you take and the input you provide.
CPSA regulated members, partner organizations, other healthcare professionals and Albertans are invited to provide feedback from May 6 to June 5. Feedback may be provided via survey, email or the comment form on each page.
Anonymized feedback will be considered by Council. Once amendments are finalized and approved by Council, members will be notified by email and The Messenger newsletter.
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Other feedback on this standard
In the standard of changing scope of practice, the definition of changing scope of practice is defined slightly better at the bottom of the standard but in the first paragraph of the second page, the standard reads "It is considered a change in scope when members wish to add a new medical service to their practice.". This is a very broad statement and could be interpreted as any introduction of a new classification of drugs would trigger this practice. Hence, any of the new antihypertensives or something like the addition of Ozempic prescriptions could trigger this standard. It could also be interpreted as a trigger if a patient were admitted to hospital on something like an orthopaedic service but were on longstanding medications that don't pertain to orthopaedics but the orthopaedic surgeon orders those medications anyway.
CPSA Reply:
Thank you for this perspective, Dr. Campbell: it’s a helpful distinction.