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Need a speaker?

07 July 2015

The CMLTO is committed to building relationships with members, other health profession colleges, key stakeholders, and the public. We are pleased to provide speakers on a wide variety of topics, including its regulatory role, ethics and professionalism, interprofessional collaboration, and the regulation of medical laboratory assistants and technicians.
To request a CMLTO representative to deliver a presentation at your organization, please e-mail memberrelations@cmlto.com.

New CMLTO poster

03 July 2015

CMLTO is set to launch its Voluntary Roster of Registered Medical Laboratory Technicians in Fall 2015.
As one of the major milestones in this Council-initiated project which is a step towards regulating medical laboratory technicians and assistants, the Voluntary Roster gives this group of laboratory practitioners the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to public protection and professionalism by joining.
Learn more about the poster (PDF) here, and the initiative here. To subscribe to email updates about the initiative, click here.

CMLTO releases new poster

03 July 2015

Ahead of the launch of the Voluntary Roster of Registered Medical Laboratory Technicians in Fall 2015, CMLTO has released a new poster to engage medical laboratory technicians and assistants.
thumbnail_vol_ros_poster
As one of the major milestones in this Council-initiated project towards regulating medical laboratory technicians and assistants, the Voluntary Roster gives this group of laboratory practitioners the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to public protection and professionalism by joining.
Until such time that medical laboratory assistants and medical laboratory technicians are regulated health professionals in Ontario, the Voluntary Roster will serve the public interest by confirming they have voluntarily met a certain level of education and professional practice qualifications.
Download the poster (PDF) here. If you’d like a presentation about the initiative made at your workplace, or printed copies of the poster, please contact us at memberrelations@cmlto.com.

Blood Regulations: Health Canada

02 July 2015

MLTs should be aware that effective September 1st, 2015, adverse recipient reactions are to be submitted to the Canada Vigilance Program of the Marketed Health Products Directorate in accordance with Sections 110-115 of the Blood Regulations. 
The Canada Vigilance Program is Health Canada’s post-market surveillance program that is responsible for the collection, management and assessment of adverse reaction reports. Click here (PDF) for reporting details.

Improving privacy and accountability

16 June 2015

Ontario is improving privacy and accountability in the health care system with new measures to protect the personal health information of patients. Click here for the official announcement.
The province intends to introduce amendments to the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) that, if passed, would strengthen privacy rules, make it easier to prosecute offences and increase fines.
Bill 78, Electronic Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2013 will be reintroduced. The Bill involves a major revision to the PHIPA. In addition, the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (RHPA) is amended. Click here for more information about how it would affect regulatory Colleges as well as their members.

Strengthening privacy and accountability in the health care system

15 June 2015

Ontario is improving privacy and accountability in the health care system with new measures to protect the personal health information of patients. Click here for the official announcement.

The province intends to introduce amendments to the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) that, if passed, would strengthen privacy rules, make it easier to prosecute offences and increase fines.

Bill 78, Electronic Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2013 will be reintroduced. It permits the establishment of electronic health records by non-custodians. Health information custodians will be given access to the electronic data bank in appropriate circumstances. The Bill involves a major revision to the Personal Health Information Protection Act. In addition, the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (RHPA) is amended to permit the Minister to make regulations requiring a regulated health professional College to collect from its members information specified in the regulations that is necessary for ensuring effective electronic health records and requiring the College to disclose such information to a prescribed organization. A member of the College would be required to comply with the college’s request for information.

The most significant privacy enhancements announced below read as follows:

• increasing accountability and transparency by making it mandatory to report privacy breaches to the Information and Privacy Commissioner and, in certain cases, to relevant regulatory Colleges

• strengthening the process to prosecute offences under PHIPA by removing the requirement that prosecutions must be commenced within six months of the alleged privacy breach

• further discouraging "snooping" into patient records by doubling the fines for offences under PHIPA from $50,000 to $100,000 for individuals and from $250,000 to $500,000 for the organization

• clarifying the authority under which health care providers may collect, use and disclose personal health information in electronic health records.

The earliest this Bill could be introduced is late September 2015. Further information about this legislation will be available at that time.

OFC 2014 Fair Registration Practice report

15 June 2015

The Office of the Fairness Commissioner (OFC) posted CMLTO's 2014 Fair Registration Practice (FRP) Report online here.
The OFC gathers regulatory bodies' exemplary licensing practices and it noted CMLTO's detailed 'process map' with timelines as an exemplary practice.

Raising awareness about MLTs' duty to report

12 June 2015

The Ministry of Children and Youth Services wishes to increase professional awareness and knowledge with respect to the “duty to report” suspected cases of child abuse and/or neglect under the Child and Family Services Act (CFSA).
The CFSA recognizes that the public, including professionals who work with children, must promptly report any suspicions that a child is or may be in need of protection directly to a children’s aid society. This is referred to as one’s “duty to report.”
Please click here to read the letter from the Ministry (PDF) which outlines MLTs' obligations relating to the CFSA.

MERS-CoV update: June 4, 2015

04 June 2015

Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health has issued this update (PDF) for health care workers regarding the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) outbreak in the Republic of Korea.
The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care provides guidance for the health system on MERS-CoV here.

PHO: new Labstract for clinicians

26 May 2015

Laboratorians please note: Public Health Ontario Laboratories (PHOL) uses different algorithms for influenza virus and other respiratory viruses testing for the Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter seasons. Click here for more information about the new PHOL labstract (LAB-SD-076-004).