Unauthorized practice and use of exclusive titles

Unauthorized practice

CHCPBC takes the unauthorized practice of the professions we regulate seriously. Unauthorized practice and unauthorized use of reserved titles are subject to legal action.

Anyone providing services within the regulated scope of practice of registered audiologists, dietitians, hearing instrument practitioners, occupational therapists, opticians, optometrists, physical therapists, psychologists, and speech-language pathologists in BC, and who does not hold the required licensure status with CHCPBC or is not being supervised by a licensee, is breaking the law. Performing aspects of practice reserved for these regulated health professionals is unauthorized practice.

BC has a shared scope of practice and restricted activities model for regulated health professions under the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA). This regulatory model was designed to enable inter-professional practice and team-based care, and to balance public safety and consumer choice. For more information on this regulatory model, please see “Shared scope of practice and restricted activities” on the BC Ministry of Health’s HPOA webpage.

Restricted activities are a narrowly defined list of invasive, higher risk activities that must not be performed by any person in the course of providing health services, except the regulated health professionals who have been granted specific authority to do so by regulations enacted under the HPOA.

A person engages in unauthorized practice when they perform a restricted activity without being registered as the type of health professional who has been granted authority to provide that restricted activity as part of their services.

In addition, licensees who continue to practise after their licence has lapsed, may be subject to investigation and legal action.

Unauthorized use of exclusive titles

Using a title that is reserved for audiologists, dietitians, hearing instrument practitioners, occupational therapists, opticians, optometrists, physical therapists, psychologists, and speech-language pathologists in BC without current CHCPBC licensure is unlawful.

CHCPBC takes the unauthorized use of a title reserved by law for health professionals we regulate seriously. Exclusive titles (also called reserved or protected titles) are a central and critical public protection element of BC’s health professions regulatory framework. For more information about exclusive titles in BC, and to see which titles are reserved for CHCPBC licensees, please see “Exclusive titles” on the BC Ministry of Health’s HPOA webpage.

Unregistered individuals are legally prohibited from using these exclusive titles or their abbreviations.

Some individuals who are registrants of a health profession regulated by another health profession regulatory college are also granted legal authority to use some of these titles.

Contacting CHCPBC with concerns about unauthorized practice or use of exclusive titles

If you have concerns about someone engaging in unauthorized practice of a profession CHCPBC regulates or improperly using an exclusive title, download and complete the Unauthorized Practice Form (fillable PDF), and email it to complaints@chcpbc.org. 

When you submit your concern, please include:

• Screen shots and any other documentary evidence relevant to the concern
• The name and business name of the unauthorized provider
• Contact information for the unauthorized provider (if available)
• Any relevant website and/or social media links