March Council Update

March 26, 2026 |
CPSM Council

A Council was held on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. Below are important highlights from the meeting. 

 

Approved: 2026-27 CPSM Budget & Certificate of Practice Fees

Council approved the 2026/27 annual operating budget as presented, including the recommended amendments to the Financial Management Policy. The honoraria for participation in Council meetings and committees were increased from $150/hr to $160/hr to align with what is paid in other jurisdictions. Council stipends for the president, president-elect, and chairs for the investigations committee were increased 5%. The last increase in these stipends was in 2019.

Certificate of Practice Fees

As per the Fee Bylaw, the fee for the annual certificate of practice shall automatically increase by an amount equal to the Manitoba Consumer Price Index to cover inflationary costs.  Management estimates the increase at approximately 2% for the 2026/2027 certificate of practice year.

 

Approved: Standard of Practice – Collaborative Care 

Council approved the revised three-part Standard of Practice - Collaborative Care. The standard will become effective June 1, 2026.

Following several pre-consultations with registrants in 2025, a broader public consultation was held from January 13 to February 13, 2026, to gather feedback from the general public, registrants, and stakeholders. The majority of respondents agreed with the principles that every action and decision must be based on ensuring the patient receives good medical care and that closed-loop communication is an essential part of effective communication.

Concerns regarding administrative burden and system issues were raised. Implementation of the standard will include a comprehensive contextual document and involve coordinated efforts with service delivery organizations.

This standard replaces the existing Standard of Practice - Collaborative Care and the Practice Direction Interprofessional Collaborative Care with:

Standard of Practice - Collaborative Care

Standard of Practice - Non-Emergent Consultation Requests

Standard of Practice - Emergent, Urgent, and Inpatient Requests

 

Approved: Public Consultation on the Standard of Practice - Entering a New Practice Setting

A new Standard of Practice – Entering a New Practice Setting aims to ensure that registrants entering practice in Manitoba, whether newly licensed or transitioning from another jurisdiction, are effectively supported in their integration into the local clinical and community context.

A draft of the standard will be distributed during the consultation.

 Working Group Update: Prescribing Opioids and Prescribing Benzodiazepines and Z-Drugs

The working group has met to begin reviewing the two standards with the intent of updating the existing standards into one that is principle-based, clear and concise to incorporate the standards into practice. The group will review prescribing and drug use data from 2015 to 2025 for medications affected by these standards to assess their impact since implementation.

The group developed an anonymous survey to gain feedback from registrants. Your feedback is valuable as the group proceeds with their review. The survey was distributed to all CPSM registrants on March 19 and is open until April 19 at 11:59 p.m. CST. Check your email for the link. 

 

Update: Election Committee

An Election Committee (a committee of Council) issued a call for nominations from registrants for the 2026 Council election. The nomination period was held from February 5 to March 5. The committee was pleased with the engagement in the new process and the strong response to the call for nominations.  

A Council election will be held from April 16 to May 5 for the following positions:

  • Two positions for a registrant whose primary practice location is in Rural Manitoba.
  • One position for a registrant whose primary practice location is in Winnipeg.
  • One Associate Registrant (residents, physician assistants, and clinical assistants) position on Council. This position is elected annually.

Watch your inbox for the formal election notice.

 

 

Policy and Regulation Updates:

Regulation document Change type Details 

Council Policy: English Language Proficiency Requirements

Amendment 

Amendments to clause 1.1.1. and footnote four to add clarification to our requirements, including that IELTS results from multiple sittings will be considered and ELP will not expire during the application period.

Council Policy: Registration in the Provisional Family Practice – Limited, Assessment Candidate (Family Practice-Limited) and Provisional (Non-Practicing) Classes

Amendment 

Clarifying what constitutes satisfactory post‑graduate training in family medicine, removing reference to the LMCC requirement, which was deleted from the CPSM General Regulation, and updating the process for applying to the PRA‑FP.

Clause 2.2. is updated to reflect that CPSM will be the front door for those who require referral to the PRA MB-FP. 

Council Policy: Registration of Clinical and Physician Assistants and Physician Assistant Students

Amendment 

Clause 10.2.1. are proposed because of 1) the cancellation of the Clinical Assistant Assessment at the University of Manitoba and 2) the MCCQE1 is the relevant part of the assessment (rather than holding the LMCC). 

Council Policy: Supervision of Provisional Registrants

Amendment 

Revised the minimum practice experience required for a registrant to be approved as a Practice Supervisor for a provisional registrant, reducing it from two (2) years to one year of independent practice in Manitoba.

Practice Direction: Practice and Supervision Requirements for Clinical and Physician Assistants and Physician Assistant Students

Amendment 

Revision: the minimum Manitoba practice experience required for a registrant to be approved as a supervisor for a Clinical or Physician Assistant, reducing it from two (2) years to one year of independent practice in Manitoba.

Council Policy:  Registration in the Full (Practicing) and Full (Non-Practicing) Classes

 

New

 No changes to the requirements; the intent is to consolidate all current requirements into a single document to enhance accessibility.
Council Policy: Registration in the Provisional (Academic - s. 181 Faculty) Class and the Provisional (Academic – Visiting Professor) Classes New No changes to the requirements; the intent is to consolidate all current requirements into a single document to enhance accessibility.
Council Policy: Registration in the Provisional (Academic - Post-Certification Trainee) Class New No changes to the requirements; the intent is to consolidate all current requirements into a single document to enhance accessibility.