Ontario considers expanding scopes of practice for health professionals
Written by The Canadian Press on September 17, 2025
TORONTO — Ontario is looking at giving several types of health professionals more authority, including allowing psychologists to prescribe anti-depressants and letting pharmacists administer strep throat tests.
Health Minister Sylvia Jones says in a statement that expanding the scopes of practice for health professionals will ease pressures on other parts of the system such as primary care, and will make it faster for people to access care.
The government says it is consulting on proposed changes including granting psychologists with specialized training and education in psychopharmacology the authority to prescribe certain medications to manage mental health conditions, as well as to order some diagnostic tests.
The province is also looking at giving some other professionals including dental hygienists, physiotherapists and chiropractors the ability to order and perform some diagnostic procedures such as X-rays, MRIs and CT scans.
Optometrists are also being considered for a scope expansion, with a possibility they could be allowed to perform minor surgical procedures in office, including laser therapy to manage cataracts and glaucoma.
The government has already expanded pharmacists’ scope of practice several times and is now looking at a new round, to enable them to assess and prescribe for 14 more minor ailments, administer more publicly funded vaccines and perform some point-of-care tests such as strep throat testing.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2025.
Allison Jones, The Canadian Press