The Regulated Health Professions Act

What is the RHPA?

In Canada, each province and territory has its own legislation governing the regulation of health professionals. In the province of Manitoba, health professionals are regulated by various Acts and governing bodies, such as the Manitoba Health Professions Act, the Regulated Health Professions Act, or specific Acts for individual professions (e.g., The Pharmacy Act, The Medical Act, etc.).

The Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA) is umbrella legislation, which will replace the current acts and regulations of all regulated health professions, once they come under the RHPA. The updated website can be accessed here: https://www.gov.mb.ca/health/rhpa/index.html.

The RHPA provides a framework for the establishment and operation of regulatory colleges for various health professions. These regulatory colleges are responsible for setting and enforcing standards of practice, regulating entry to the profession, handling complaints and disciplinary matters, and ensuring the ongoing competence and professionalism of their members.

Which professions are governed under the RHPA?

The following Health Professions (Colleges) are currently regulated under the RHPA:

The College of Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists (CASLPM) – Jan. 1, 2014

The College of Paramedics of Manitoba (CPMB) – June 1, 2018 (came into force on December 1, 2020)

The College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba (CRNM) – May 31, 2018
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba (CPSM) – January 1, 2019

The College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Manitoba (CRPNM) – June 1, 2022

 

Currently, the following colleges are in the process of transitioning to the RHPA:

The College of Physiotherapists of Manitoba (CPM)

College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Manitoba (CLPNM)

The College of Medical Laboratory Technologists of Manitoba (CMLTM)

Psychologists Association of Manitoba (PAM)

 

The members of health professions that are not yet under the RHPA may continue to perform reserved acts that are within their scope of practice under their existing profession-specific acts.

Eventually all professions will become regulated under the RHPA. Manitoba Health has provided a proposed timeline for the transition of Health Professions to the RHPA.