Transforming and Supporting Patient Care - Health Professions ...

219Chapter 9 – Profession of Dentistrycompetency in pharmacotherapy, and a record of safe prescribing practiceswhich justifies maintaining open prescribing rights. HPRAC does not see abenefit to increased public protection in moving to classes of drugs thatwould be authorized in regulations under the Dentistry Act, 1991. HPRACtherefore supports the profession’s continued access to open prescribing.In order to bring dentistry in closer alignment with other health professions,HPRAC is recommending that the RCDSO formalize standards of practicethrough the creation of an interprofessional Dentistry Standards Committee.Increased flexibility is balanced with an enhanced role for the RCDSO tomore actively and rigorously regulate the profession in the public interestand ensure appropriate accountability measures to protect the public.HPRAC is aware that this will mean a formalization of existing practices forthe profession in some circumstances, but will also allow for the opening ofnew options in the development of standards of practice.HPRAC is also aware that the profession of dentistry, despite interventionsand proposals to the Ministry over a number of years, lacks a qualityassurance regulation and has attempted to guide quality improvementwithin the profession on the basis of policies, rules and guidelines. Whilethere are reasons for the approach taken by the RCDSO, HPRAC would liketo see early initiatives to establish quality assurance regulations under theDentistry Act, 1991 to provide clarity to the public, the profession and otherhealth professions. RCDSO leadership, with a collaborative approach to thedevelopment of interprofessional standards of practice and qualityassurance programs could provide a major impetus for progress ininterprofessional care.HPRAC also recommends that regulation provisions be amended to includethe authority to make regulations for prescribing, selling and compoundingof drugs, rather than the current regulations that refer to dispensing only.Standards of practice developed by the RCDSO would have legal authorityas a result of the regulation. As with recommendations for otherprofessions, HPRAC recommends that dentists be held accountable in theircertificates of registration to comply with standards of practice forprescribing, dispensing, selling and compounding of drugs.HPRAC has concluded that since Ontario dentists have access to controlleddrugs and substances under federal statutes and regulations, professionalmisconduct regulations should be expanded to include contraventions ofother laws and the loss of privileges under the Controlled Drug andSubstances Act (Canada) or privileges under the Food and Drugs Act(Canada) as with other professions in this review.Section 50 of Ontario Regulation 547 under the Drug and PharmaciesRegulation Act (DPRA) gives dental hygienists authority to performHPRAC Critical Links January 2009