Is the OMA taking a softer stance on expanded scope of practice for pharmacists?

In July 2024, when the Ontario government announced it was exploring new measures to further expand the scope of practice for pharmacists, the Ontario Medical Association didn’t mince words, saying such a move would “fragment an already fractured healthcare system.”But two years later, the OMA appears to be taking a softer stance on expanded scope—or at the very least, using softer language. On Monday, Health Minister Sylvia Jones announced that many of the measures that were proposed two years ago will now be implemented. In response, the OMA said on Tuesday its focus on the issue of expanded scope of practice is simply ensuring “coordinated care for patients across the system” and “clear communication between providers.”“Patients need to be confident that care is connected across the system, particularly when multiple providers are involved in prescribing, treatment, and follow up, so they are not at risk of falling through gaps in care. As care becomes more distributed across healthcare providers, clear information sharing and coordination across the system becomes increasingly important,” the OMA said in its statement to the Canadian Healthcare Network.“We look forward to working with the Ministry of Health as these changes are implemented to ensure they strengthen, rather than fragment, patient care.”Starting in July 2026, the province will add nine additional common ailments to the list of conditions for which pharmacists will be able to treat and prescribe. The province has also directed the regulatory colleges for optometrists, physiotherapists, chiropractors, dental hygienists, denturists, and audiologists and speech-language pathologists to draft regulations that would expand the scopes of practice for their fields.The OMA in July 2024 said such a move to expand prescribing to pharmacists would negatively affect patient safety and that pharmacists “are not trained to prescribe and make diagnoses.” They pointed out that doctors require far more clinical training than pharmacists and warned that this could lead to more misdiagnoses and mistreatments. Instead, they urged the province to increase investments in team-based primary care rather than what it describes as “Band-Aid solutions.” They also put out an advocacy page on their website, with the title, “You deserve to see a doctor.”Then in September 2024, when the province announced consultations on this policy change, the OMA continued its heated rhetoric in opposition, calling it “unacceptable” and urging doctors to help “stop this in its tracks.” Then-OMA president Dr. Dominik Nowak did a round of media interviews, arguing that there is “nothing minor” about most of the conditions on the minor ailments lists.This time around, the talking points from 2024 were conspicuously absent. Unlike statements from two years ago, there was nothing in the OMA's latest statement raising concerns about practice encroachment threatening patient safety, or pharmacists and other health professionals having less training and less medical expertise.Has the OMA shifted its position on expanding scope of practice for pharmacists and other health professionals?We asked the association. In its response, the OMA didn’t directly address (or repeat) its 2024 talking points, but insisted its position “has consistently focused on patient safety, continuity of care, and the need for coordinated system design as scope of practice evolves. That remains unchanged.”“As the health system has expanded the roles of pharmacists and other regulated health professionals over time, the OMA has continued to emphasize that these changes must be implemented with clear communication between providers, appropriate safeguards, and strong integration across the system,” the statement continued. “Our focus is ensuring that when care is delivered across multiple providers, patients receive coordinated care supported by shared information, clear accountability, and appropriate clinical oversight, with a focus on continuity of care and patient safety.”The OMA’s 2024 statements also received significant pushback at the time from leaders of pharmacy groups, who urged the OMA to tone down the rhetoric. Ontario Pharmacists Association CEO Justin Bates argued there are “no patient safety risks” to expanding scope of practice for pharmacists and that he was “disappointed in the statement by the Ontario Medical Association suggesting otherwise.”Last weekend also marked the installation of Dr. Rebecca Hicks as OMA president at the group’s annual general meeting in Ottawa—someone who has also expressed opposition to the expansion of scope of practice for non-physicians. In a December 2024 blog post on LinkedIn, Dr. Hicks argued the proposed policy changes have “ignored concerns regarding patient safety in lieu of providing patients access to ‘convenient care,’” and expressed concerns that pharmacies are not properly equipped to safely disrobe patients to treat conditions like jock itch, which “could lead to a misdiagnosis and further burden on the system.”Meanwhile, the “You deserve to see a doctor” page continues to be up on the OMA’s website.

Is the OMA taking a softer stance on expanded scope of practice for pharmacists?

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