Proposed Amendments to Chiropractic Act Introduced Today

Amendments to the Chiropractic Act to benefit both the public and practising chiropractors were tabled in the legislature today by Health Minister Jamie Muir.

"The Department of Health worked together with the chiropractic association to develop a bill that includes their recommendations for improvement," said Mr. Muir. "We are confident that the proposed amendments will help to ensure quality chiropractic services continue to be delivered in this province while ensuring proper professional regulations are in place."

The proposed amendments support the establishment of a professional college consisting of all registered chiropractors. The college would include a 10-person board responsible for regulating the practise of chiropractic while a separate eight-person council would deal only with professional issues. The creation of the college is consistent with other recently enacted statutes regulating health professions, including the Medical Act, Physiotherapy Act and the Occupational Therapists Act.

In addition, the amendments provide for professional incorporation. Incorporation provisions would ensure that patient liability claims are properly addressed.

There are currently 50 chiropractors practising in the province.