CMRC Update – January 2006

CMRC representatives held a two-day meeting in November 2005 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The revised Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) was approved and signed by the original five regulatory bodies, as well as the newest regulator, the Department of Health & Social Services, Government of the Northwest Territories.

Recent CMRC activities include:

1. Supporting the National Assessment Strategy project which focuses on assessment and registration processes for internationally-educated midwives;
2. Developing a national registration exam based on the Canadian Competencies for Midwives statement approved in 2004;
3. Exploring ways for regulators to support the expansion of midwifery in rural remote and northern communities and to support midwives practicing in those communities;
4. Discussing issues related to the regulation of midwifery internationally and putting the CMRC’s name forward to sit on the International Confederation of Midwives’ subcommittee on regulation issues;
5. Working with the federal Office of Controlled Substances and other stakeholders on changes to the regulations under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) in order to give Canadian provinces and territories the ability to provide midwives with the authority to prescribe narcotics consistent with their scope of practice;
6. Coordinating the development of a distance-accessible continuing education module on narcotics prescribing for updating registered midwives across Canada in this area of their scope of practice in readiness for expanded prescribing authority;
7. Developing a discussion paper on expanding midwives Employment Insurance signing authority from their current ability to sign for parental leaves to include signing the medical leave portion of Employment Insurance forms for reasons that fall within the midwife’s scope of practice;
8. Exploring the possibility of developing a national process for approving midwifery education programs so that graduates of approved program can apply for registration in any Canadian jurisdiction that regulated midwifery.