The College is pleased to share the Ministry of Health’s public consultation regarding the potential expansion of the scope of practice of psychology to include the prescription of specific medications and the ordering/interpreting of specialized assessment measures (e.g. laboratory work; electrophysiology). The College does not have a timeline for if or when the Ministry will grant these changes and wish to stress that they are not currently in place. This consultation is an important step in the process. More information is available at the Ontario Regulatory Registry.
As this is a Ministry of Health consultation, please note responses are received by the Ministry rather than the College.
Summary of the proposal
Ontario continues to explore opportunities to expand the scopes of practice for regulated health professionals to support several key government priorities, including:
- Ontario’s Primary Care Action Plan commitment to ensure all of Ontario’s highly qualified health care professionals can work to their full scope of practice.
- Ontario’s 2023 Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care which prioritizes making it easier for the people of Ontario to connect to the care they need, maximizes the expertise of the province’s workforce, streamlines the patient pathway, and reduces delays in care.
Additionally, in 2020, the province introduced the Roadmap to Wellness which commits to building a comprehensive and connected mental health and addictions system that is sensitive to the needs of Ontario’s diverse population.
The Ministry is consulting on the following scope of practice expansions for psychologists:
- Authorizing psychologists with advanced education and who hold a postdoctoral Master of Science degree in clinical psychopharmacology (MSCP), to prescribe select psychotropic drugs for the management and/or treatment of mental health conditions and addictions.
- Authorizing these same psychologists to order and interpret specific laboratory tests (e.g., bloodwork, urinalysis, mouth swabs) and/or other tests (e.g., electrocardiograms (ECGs)) to support therapeutic drug monitoring.
- Enhancing collaboration between psychologists and primary care providers, such as physicians and nurse practitioners.
Relevant dates
Posting date: Sep 17, 2025
Comment due date: Nov 3, 2025
Analysis of the regulatory impact
The ministry is not making any specific legislative or regulatory changes and is only consulting on the proposed scope of practice changes. If some or all of these scope of practice changes are implemented, there may be costs to the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario and/or other health system partners to invest in education and training, personnel and equipment to support these expansions. The consultation will help inform the ministry on the potential cost implications and resource needs that may be associated with these proposals.