Transforming and Supporting Patient Care - Health Professions ...

122Chapter 5 – Scope of Practice of Medical Laboratory TechnologyHowever there is also a need to significantly improve the level ofcollaboration among key stakeholders, including the CMLTO. It was notedthat the scope of practice of MLTs is not top-of-mind when considering thechallenges and risks facing laboratory services in Ontario. Rather, systemicissues such as health human resource shortages, the need for specializationand the impact of emerging technological and scientific advances areconsidered more pressing at this time. HPRAC encourages the CMLTO andother medical laboratory science stakeholders to engage in discussions toidentify ways to address these considerable concerns.HPRAC’s RecommendationsThe following are HPRAC’s recommendations on the scope of practice ofMLTs. HPRAC haves grouped the requests under the following broadheadings:• Expansion of scope of practice,• Initiation of laboratory tests,• Scope of practice statement, and• Amendments to regulations under the LSCCLA.Expansion of Scope of PracticeThe proponents made several requests that would significantly expand andchange the nature of the current scope of practice of MLTs.Taking Blood from ArteriesMLTs currently have the authority to perform a procedure on tissue belowthe dermis for the purpose of taking blood samples from veins(phlebotomy) or by skin pricking. This is the only controlled act currentlyauthorized to the profession, and one that is increasingly being performedby individuals other than MLTs, such as nurses and MLA/Ts.While this is a controlled act under the statute, the regulations provide foran exemption from subsection 27(1) of the RHPA—which restricts theperformance of controlled acts—when the taking of blood from a vein or byskin pricking is performed by a person employed by a laboratory orspecimen collection centre licensed under the LSCCLA. 52 As a result, thereare relatively few instances where MLTs in practice are currently drawingblood from veins or by skin pricking under the authority of the MLTA. Themajority of functions performed by MLTs are public domain activities notsubject to the controlled act provisions of the RHPA.The proponents’ submission requests that the authority to perform aprocedure on tissue below the dermis be extended to include the drawingof blood from arteries. The main rationale for the request was to facilitate52Ontario Regulation 107/96 made under the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991, s.11.HPRAC Critical Links January 2009