SAC-Ontario, in collaboration with Ontario members and communication health partners, will continue to advocate for expanding the scope of practice for our professions to meet evolving health care needs, optimize professional competencies, and improve patient outcomes.
On May 11, 2026, the Ontario Ministry of Health announced plans to expand the scopes of practice across several regulated health professions, including speech-language pathology.
The province has directed regulatory colleges to begin developing frameworks that would enable speech-language pathologists (S-LPs) to:
These proposed changes would improve access to timely, evidence-based care while helping reduce unnecessary delays in assessment and treatment for Ontarians.
SAC welcomes this announcement and recognizes it as an important step toward modernizing speech-language pathology practice in Ontario and enabling S-LPs to work to the full extent of their education, training, and clinical knowledge.
These changes reflect years of sustained advocacy by SAC to advance scope modernization. Most recently, in November 2025, we submitted a detailed brief to the Ontario Ministry of Health calling for S-LPs to order VFSS and to order and apply diagnostic ultrasound. The submission outlined the clear benefits for patient access, dysphagia management, system efficiency, and innovative speech and swallowing intervention.
SAC looks forward to continued collaboration with government, regulators, and system partners as implementation discussions move forward.
In November 2025, SAC submitted feedback to the Ministry of Health on amendments to the Pharmacy Act regulations. The submission emphasized our support of initiatives to improve access to care while emphasizing patient safety and the importance of structured learning requirements for pharmacists should they be given the authority to assess, prescribe for, and manage otitis externa.
As a follow-up, the Ontario College of Pharmacists (OCP) has launched a public consultation on proposed learning requirements for selected high-risk expanded scope activities, including otitis externa. The consultation focuses on ensuring that pharmacists who provide expanded services have the appropriate training and competency to safely deliver care in areas where clinical risk may be higher.
SAC prepared and submitted a response to the consultation on May 29, 2026.
SAC continues to advance work aimed at supporting direct referral from audiologists to otolaryngologists (ENTs) in Ontario.
Under the current system, when an audiologist identifies that a patient needs an ENT assessment, the patient is required to see a family physician or nurse practitioner to obtain a referral. This additional step does contribute to delays in care and increased use of primary care resources.
Importantly, this issue is not about expanding the scope of practice of audiologists. Ability to refer is not a controlled act. The challenge arises when referrals received directly from audiologists are not accepted for insured ENT consultations.
Under Ontario’s Schedule of Benefits, ENT specialists can bill a consultation fee only when the referral originates from an authorized referring practitioner. Because audiologists are not included in the Schedule of Benefits as authorized referring practitioners, ENTs are unable to bill for the consultations. As a result, patients are redirected to a family physician or nurse practitioner to obtain a referral that meets current billing requirements.
SAC is committed to working with the Ontario Medical Association and relevant partners to better understand existing barriers and explore practical options that support timely access to ENT care.
