Summary#
Bill 15 of Quebec would amend the Professional Code and several laws related to health, social services, and medications.
Its main measures would be as follows:
- Simplify professional regulation. Certain regulations of professional orders could come into effect without prior government approval. However, they would need to consider the guidelines of the Quebec Professional Office.
- Increase the role of the Professional Office. The Office would approve certain regulations and determine, among other things, the degrees required for a professional license.
- Standardize certain rules. The Office would establish a common procedure for contesting professional fees and could adopt rules applicable to multiple orders.
- Enhance transparency. The tables of the orders would need to contain more information, such as member number, practice area, and certain background related to a license.
- Broaden certain health activities. Under conditions set by regulation:
- nurses could request or prescribe certain exams, tests, medications, and products;
- midwives could prescribe contraception and intervene more in the screening and treatment of certain sexually transmitted and bloodborne infections;
- optometrists could prescribe medications and provide certain frontline care or as part of a plan established by an ophthalmologist;
- dietitians could perform certain activities without a medical prescription.
- Modify the rules on psychotherapy. Marriage and family therapists could practice psychotherapy without a separate license, under certain conditions. Rules would also be established for individuals trained elsewhere in Canada and for certain individuals in training.
- Change certain commercial rules in pharmacies. In specific situations, a pharmacist could prescribe or substitute a medication with a generic or biosimilar manufactured by a company in which they have an interest. Certain dividends paid to wholesalers or pharmacy chains would also be permitted.
- Reorganize the Order of Agronomists of Quebec. Its sections would be dissolved on April 1, 2027, and integrated into the Order.
Several measures would still depend on upcoming regulations. The provided text also contains dates to be completed, including the date of sanction. Its final state and entry into force are not indicated in the document.
What This Means for You#
- Patients: access to certain services could be more direct, particularly for tests, contraception, eye care, and certain treatments.
- Nurses: their responsibilities could expand. The exact conditions would depend on regulations and required training.
- Midwives, optometrists, and dietitians: certain services could be offered in a greater number of situations and with less reliance on a medical prescription.
- Individuals seeking psychotherapy services: marriage and family therapists could become recognized providers of psychotherapy in an expanded framework.
- Members of a professional order: governance, training, and information disclosure rules could change. Members could also have a more uniform process for contesting fees.
- Pharmacists and individuals purchasing medications: rules on conflicts of interest and medication substitution would be modified. The concrete effects would depend on the conditions set by regulation.
Costs#
No publicly available information.
Supporters' Viewpoint#
Supporters might argue that the bill:
- reduces administrative delays by simplifying the adoption of regulations;
- gives health professionals more means to meet patient needs;
- improves access to frontline care;
- makes rules more uniform across professional orders;
- modernizes rules that no longer match current practices;
- enhances transparency by adding information to the tables of the orders.
They might also believe that the use of regulations allows for quicker adaptation of practices to changes in the healthcare system.
Opponents' Viewpoint#
Opponents might fear that:
- the transfer of powers to the Professional Office and the orders reduces direct government control;
- certain important decisions are made by regulation rather than in the law itself;
- the broadening of professional acts creates risks if training, supervision, or resources are insufficient;
- the possibility for a pharmacist to prescribe a medication related to a company in which they have an interest raises conflicts of interest;
- the addition of information to the tables of the orders raises privacy concerns;
- changes in psychotherapy make responsibilities between professions less clear;
- the real effects of the bill remain difficult to assess since many details would be determined later by regulation.