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The Ministry of Health recently announced the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA) will come into force on April 1, 2026. The ministry also posted the regulations for health professions on the to align with the HPOA.

Below are more details about these developments.

HPOA Bylaws

Updated CPSBC Bylaws under the HPOA will also come into effect on April 1, 2026. CPSBC has been consulting with registrants and the public over the last several months on updated bylaws, and is starting the process of consulting with Indigenous governing bodies.

The HPOA lays the groundwork for transforming how regulators fulfill their mandate to protect the public. It will require all regulatory colleges to

• protect the public from harm and discrimination,
• support and promote awareness of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and UNDRIP and DRIPA,
• take anti-discriminatory measures, and
• be fair and transparent while respecting the privacy right of individuals.

Patient safety is at the forefront of CPSBC’s work and there are opportunities to align that with the government’s aim of enhancing public protection through the HPOA and the updated bylaws.

Health professions regulations

The updated health professions regulations are now available on the .

The regulations will come into effect when the HPOA is in force starting April 1, 2026. They outline the following:

• the name of the regulatory college that regulates each profession
• reserved titles
• scope of practice statements
• activities restricted to particular health professions
• limits or conditions of practice

The scope of practice for CPSBC registrants will remain the same under the updated professional regulations.

Additionally, physician assistants will transition from their current certified non-registrant status to become CPSBC licensees under the HPOA. More information will be provided once the details and timelines for this change have been reviewed.

The new regulations will also add new health professions to BC’s health regulatory framework. The following professions will be regulated by CPSBC starting November 29, 2027.

• clinical perfusionists
• medical laboratory technologists
• radiation therapists
• respiratory therapists

CPSBC looks forward to incorporating these professions into its regulatory framework over the next two years and advancing public safety in more areas of BC’s health-care system.

Looking ahead

In the interim, CPSBC will continue to operate under the existing Health Professions Act until the HPOA comes into force. 

CPSBC will keep working with government and other health regulators to ensure a consistent and smooth transition to the HPOA. It will also continue to develop internal policies to administer the HPOA Bylaws once they are in force and start the transition process for the incoming professions.