Issue 1: April 2024
Message from the Registrar:
Welcoming Physician Assistants and Podiatrists
The provincial government has amended the regulations to the Medical Act, conferring upon the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia the responsibility and authority to license and to regulate podiatrists and physician assistants within the province, effective April 1, 2024.
At the onset of the pandemic, there were 13 physician extender programs in NS, all within the central zone, all housed within academic departments. Since that time, the number of programs has expanded to 30, with new programs located around the province and not always connected to an academic department. These programs employ 63 physician extenders.
The College applauds the advocacy and administrative work done by the Nova Scotia Podiatry Association (NSPA) to bring the profession into regulation. The College is grateful to members of the Division of Orthopedic Surgery for their collaboration in this work.
The practice of podiatry is the use of medical, physical, or surgical methods to prevent, diagnose, and treat ailments, diseases, deformities, and injuries of the foot. Nova Scotia had been somewhat of an outlier — in most provinces, podiatry is a regulated profession.
As of April 1, there are 26 podiatrists licensed by the College. In collaboration with the province and Nova Scotia Health, work is underway already to enable podiatrists to order investigations, including plain films, and to consult with other disciplines.
The College also welcomed physician assistants (PAs) into regulation as registrants of the College. PAs expand the impact of physicians, working independently but not autonomously. As such, they must work in structured programs. The penetration of PA’s is inconsistent in Canada, but is widespread in other jurisdictions around the world, particularly in the USA.
At the onset of the pandemic, there were 13 physician extender programs in NS, all within the central zone, all housed within academic departments. Since that time, the number of programs has expanded to 30, with new programs located around the province and not always connected to an academic department. These programs employ 63 physician extenders. Each of these programs has been accredited by the College, with established duties, structures of oversight, and scopes of practice.