Medical associations urge health ministers to pursue national licensure

The Society of Rural Physicians of Canada (SRPC) sent a letter to provincial and territorial health ministers advocating for national licensure for Canadian physicians. Eleven other medical associations signed the letter.The letters were sent on May 27 to augment the actions of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP). CAEP initiated an e-petition to the federal government in May. The SRPC wanted to support the CAEP initiative by raising awareness at the provincial and territorial level, said Dr. Kyle Sue, a rural and remote general practitioner and clinical assistant professor in pediatrics at the University of Alberta. The licensing of physicians is a provincial and territorial responsibility.“Really we just wanted to rally support, whomever that may be from,” he said. Dr. Sue is the Alberta representative to the SRPC council.CAEP’s e-petition asks that the federal government:Establish a reciprocal agreement between provinces and territories that allows nurses and doctors licenced in one jurisdiction to practice in others for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemicMake a plan to extend the reciprocal licencing agreementThe petition is open for signatures until the morning of June 10. If more than 500 signatures are collected, the government must respond to the petition. As of June 2, there were 1,168 signatures.The timing of the letters sent by SRPC was to coincide or precede with the petition being addressed in parliament, Dr. Sue said.The benefits of national licensure have been highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic, said CAEP president Dr. Kirsten Johnson. With virtual care playing a larger role, a national licensure could ensure virtual care could go beyond provincial or territorial borders, she said. Also, it would allow physicians from other jurisdictions to help in times of crisis.This is already happening in some parts of Canada. For example, the Northwest Territories provided an exemption of licencing requirements to Alberta physicians willing to provide virtual care to NWT patients during the pandemic. The territory provided more than 50 emergency licenses to Alberta physicians in 2020. Also, Ontario issued an emergency order in April 2021 that allowed out-of-province physicians to practice in Ontario hospitals without holding an Ontario licence.Dr. Johnson said that the emergency order suggests that national licensure is achievable. “It is possible. It’s just a matter of will,” she said.Dr. Johnson said that national licensure is also about physician wellness, so respite can be offered to physicians who need time off. Dr. Sue noted that getting licensed in another province to offer that respite is a long, difficult and expensive process.“That greatly hinders the ability of people to help each other out at short notice,” he said.Most Canadian physicians support a national licence. The 2019 Canadian Medical Association Physician Workforce Survey showed 91% of physicians surveyed supported a national license.“All I’m hearing from people are words of support,” Dr. Sue said.CAEP also started a petition on change.org to raise awareness about national licensure.“The more noise that we make the more likely something will get done,” Dr. Sue said.“I felt that this is a crucial window, given that there are massive COVID needs, to get this done,” he said.The Federation of Medical Regulatory Authorities of Canada (FMRAC) continues work to help streamline the licensing requirements of provincial and territorial medical regulators. The aim is to provide a faster and simpler process for eligible physicians to obtain a license in another jurisdiction.

Medical associations urge health ministers to pursue national licensure

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