Practicing Phlebotomy in Ontario
Many students ask us that whether there is a licensing available for phlebotomy in Ontario. This blog is for information purposes only to address some of those queries and we recommend students and employers to review the Ontario regulations as mentioned in links below.
Phlebotomy or the act of “taking of a blood sample from a vein or by skin pricking” is a controlled act under the subsection 27(1) of Ontario regulations 107/96. This means that phlebotomy is performed only by regulated health professionals whose scope of practice includes phlebotomy as an act that they are authorized to do so. This includes Ontario licensed physicians, nurses, and other regulated health professionals (but not all regulated health professionals). Now the question arises under which circumstances the unregulated health professionals like medical office assistants, clinical assistants, or internationally trained health professionals are performing phlebotomy as we see in many health facilities across Ontario.
As per the Ontario Regulations 107/96, the “taking of a blood sample from a vein or by skin pricking is an activity that is exempt from subsection 27 (1) of the Act if the person taking the blood sample is employed by a laboratory or specimen collection centre licensed under the Laboratory and Specimen Collection Centre Licensing Act.” O. Reg. 107/96, s. 11 Under this exemption, you may see that many unregulated health professionals may be performing the skill under the supervision of a laboratory or a medical director.
Many professional associations or bodies that self-regulate health professionals, e.g., Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, support their members to perform the procedure. These societies through the membership fees collect dues for medical malpractice liability to cover their members from any harms resulting from performing phlebotomy.
The associations and employers who have professionals do require their employees current or future require them to complete the phlebotomy training from registered institution like ours. This helps employers for their insurance needs as they ensure that they have hired trained staff.
The Canadian College of Healthcare and Pharmaceutics has been working with the Canadian Phlebotomy Technician Group Inc., a new professional body that is offering its members who are not exempted under the O. Reg. 107/96, s. 11 the medical malpractice liability protection after evaluating and licensing them.
Many students who complete Phlebotomy Workshop at the college do not opt for further licensing as their employers are often satisfied with the training needs. The option of further licensing is available to our students through Canadian Phlebotomy Technician Group Inc.
The students who have completed the phlebotomy workshop with the Canadian College of Healthcare and Pharmaceutics and would like to seek additional licensing are eligible for discounts on evaluation and exam fees by the Canadian Phlebotomy Technician Group Inc.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog contains open source documents released by the government and the third parties. All readers are required to do the due diligence before opting for any program at this or other educational institutions. The educational certifications should not be considered as guaranteed employment.
