Background/context

The Province of British Columbia passed new legislation to modernize the provincial framework for health profession regulation. The Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA) came into force on April 1, 2026, replacing the Health Professions Act, as confirmed by Lieutenant Governor in General (LGIC) regulations that were approved on July 16, 2025.

For more information about the HPOA, you can refer to the legislation online and find additional background on the Ministry of Health’s Professional Regulation webpage, as well as a webpage specific to the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA).

The HPOA was informed by recommendations outlined in the 2020 report Recommendations to modernize the provincial health profession regulatory framework, which included a recommendation to reduce the number of regulatory colleges through amalgamation. As of June 2024, six health profession regulatory colleges are operating under the HPOA.

Government funding supported readiness for HPOA

In recognition of the extensive work required for all health profession regulatory colleges to prepare and align themselves with the HPOA, the BC Ministry of Health awarded a $4.5-million grant to BC Health Regulators (BCHR) to support all six health regulatory colleges by centrally coordinating this shared work.

BCHR launched a major project to develop resources and supports to help B.C.’s health profession regulators prepare to regulate in the public interest under the new HPOA.

To learn more about the HPOA Project, visit The HPOA Project page and see our news bulletins about regulatory modernization and a list of Frequently Asked Questions.

Further information

Visit the BC Ministry of Health’s Professional Regulation page for details about the government’s initiative to modernize the provincial health profession regulatory framework.

Visit the Health Professions and Occupations Regulatory Oversight Office webpage for details about the office overseeing health regulatory colleges and the Discipline Tribunal.

Visit individual college websites to learn about each college’s specific activities related to modernization.

BCHR bulletins about regulatory modernization

Frequently Asked Questions about Regulatory Modernization

This section will be updated as new information becomes available.

The 2020 report, Recommendations to modernize the provincial health profession regulatory framework, included a recommendation to improve “efficiency and effectiveness through a reduction in the number of regulatory colleges.”

Regulators completed their amalgamation work to reduce the number of health profession regulatory colleges to six: These colleges are:

  • College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC (amalgamated August 31, 2020)
  • BC College of Nurses and Midwives (amalgamated September 1, 2020)
  • BC College of Oral Health Professionals (amalgamated September 1, 2022)
  • College of Health and Care Professionals of BC (amalgamated June 28, 2024)
  • College of Complementary Health Professionals of BC (amalgamated June 28, 2024)
  • College of Pharmacists of BC

B.C.’s health profession regulatory colleges have undertaken a number of initiatives that support the directions of the Ministry of Health’s modernization plan. These initiatives include:

Amalgamation

Regulators completed their amalgamation work to reduce the number of health profession regulatory colleges to six. These colleges are:

  • College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC (amalgamated August 31, 2020)
  • BC College of Nurses and Midwives (amalgamated September 1, 2020)
  • BC College of Oral Health Professionals (amalgamated September 1, 2022)
  • College of Health and Care Professionals of BC (amalgamated June 28, 2024)
  • College of Complementary Health Professionals of BC (amalgamated June 28, 2024)
  • College of Pharmacists of BC
HPOA Project

With $4.5M in funding from the BC Ministry of Health, BCHR led a major project for regulatory modernization. The HPOA Project delivered key resources for supporting consistency across the regulatory colleges in ensuring they would be in compliance with the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA) when it came into force on April 1, 2026.

Regulatory practice excellence

Through BCHR, the colleges developed shared resources to support a consistent, high-quality regulatory approach. These resources included: the BCHR Framework for Quality Assurance Programs; the BCHR Framework for a Model Patient-Practitioner Relationship Program; the BCHR Public Notification Framework for Inquiry Results; and a learning module to help registrants gain competency in interprofessional practice. Also, BCHR hosts educational events for college staff and boards, including a Governance 101 program.

Public engagement

A BC Public Advisory Network (BC-PAN) was created to serve as an ongoing resource for health regulatory colleges interested in seeking public input on important issues related to health regulation.

Improvements by colleges

Visit individual health regulator websites to learn about the changes each is making in support of modernization. The list of BCHR’s member colleges provides links to college websites.

Visit the BC Ministry of Health’s Professional Regulation page and the Health Professions and Occupations Act page for details about modernization of the provincial health profession regulatory framework, including answers to Frequently Asked Questions.