Saskatchewan Expands Scope of Practice for Three Frontline Health Care Professions

Released on June 16, 2023

Expansion To Strengthen Health Care Teams and Enhance Access to Care

The Government of Saskatchewan is expanding the scope of practice for pharmacists, nurse practitioners and advanced care paramedics, which will allow these professions to provide additional services, optimize their skills and improve patient care throughout the province.

"These changes will empower our highly qualified pharmacists, nurse practitioners and paramedics, giving them the opportunity to make greater use of their skills and expertise to further support patient care," Health Minister Paul Merriman said. "Expanding scope of practice in these three professions will serve to strengthen our health care teams, improve patient access to health services and help build additional capacity within our health care system."

The enhanced scope of practice will enable the three professions to provide the following additional health services, where capacity permits.

Pharmacists: 

• Independently prescribe; 
• Order lab tests and conduct point of care testing, such as drawing a small blood sample, to advise patients on medication to better manage diabetes or cholesterol.

Nurse Practitioners: 

• Extended privileges for admission and discharge of patients in some hospital areas; 
• Conduct initial examinations of new long-term care (LTC) residents, be responsible for ongoing medical care and treatment for residents, emergency care and sign death certificates for residents in LTC.

Advanced Care Paramedics:

• Perform suturing for minor wounds, cuts or lacerations.

The Ministry of Health held consultations with regulatory bodies, colleges, associations, unions and health system partners to inform how scope of practice could be optimized for the three professions.

"Enhancing scope of practice will enable Saskatchewan pharmacists in hospitals and communities to serve patients with pharmaceutical care and medication management in a safe and timely manner," Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals (SCPP) Council President Amy Wiebe said. "These changes will help build primary care capacity, ease health care system pressures, and improve access to care for patients."

"The expansion of Nurse Practitioner scope of practice to include admission and discharge privileges brings Saskatchewan Nurse Practitioner scope of practice on par with other Canadian jurisdictions," Saskatchewan Association of Nurse Practitioners (SANP) President Cassandra Leggott said. "Nurse Practitioners in Saskatchewan will now be able to provide continuity of care to patients by being able to admit, conduct initial assessments and discharge patients. We are excited for the scope of practice expansion, and hopeful for continued optimization of the Nurse Practitioner role within multidisciplinary teams across the health care system in Saskatchewan."

"This optimization of scope of practice means that Advanced Care Paramedics (ACPs) can now provide even more effective care to patients in need, across a range of settings and scenarios," Saskatchewan College of Paramedics (SCOP) Executive Director/Registrar Jacquie Messer-Lepage said. "From rural and remote locations, clinics, and hospitals, ACPs are now able to offer support and immediate care in more situations. As ACPs continue to provide an essential touchpoint in delivering vital care around the clock, the optimization of their scope of practice is a crucial step in achieving better, more streamlined health care outcomes for all."

It is anticipated that changes will be implemented over the next year, as the Ministry of Health and stakeholders work through regulatory and policy amendments.

These expansions are guided by the Government of Saskatchewan's ambitious Health Human Resources (HHR) Action Plan to recruit, train, incentivize and retain more health care workers in Saskatchewan. In 2023-24 an across government investment of nearly $100 million will support continued work on the HHR action plan. As the provincial government and health system partners continue to explore ways to enhance patient access to health care services and build capacity within the system, there may be opportunities to expand and optimize the scope of practice for additional health professionals in the future.

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For more information, contact:

Media Desk
Health
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4083
Email: media@health.gov.sk.ca