Regulated Health Professions Act

The profession of massage therapy is regulated in the Province of Ontario under the Regulated Health Professions Actand the associated legislation, the Massage Therapy Act.

The Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (RHPA), which came into force on December 31, 1993, and amended in June 2007, provides a common legislative framework under which all regulated health professions in Ontario must function. Currently 28 health professions are regulated under the RHPA.

The underlying objectives of the RHPA are:

• To protect the public from harm and from unqualified, incompetent or unfit providers;
• To promote safe high quality care;
• To make regulated health professions accountable to the public;
• To provide patients/clients access to health care professionals of their choice;
• To achieve equality and consistency by requiring all regulated health professions adhere to the same purposes, procedures and public interest principles;
• To treat individual patients/clients and health professionals in an equitable manner.

It assigns duties and responsibilities to:

• The Minister of Health and Long-Term Care;
• The Colleges that regulate health professions;
• The Health Professions Regulatory Advisory Council; and
• The Health Professions Appeal and Review Board.

Links to these statutes as they appear on the Government of Ontario’s E-Laws Web site are provided for your convenience below:

Regulated Health Professions Act