Introducing new professional standards and clinical practice standards in force on April 1, 2026

The College of Complementary Health Professionals of BC’s  (CCHPBC’s) new professional standards and clinical practice standards, which will be in force on April 1, 2026, set out the minimum expectations for professional, ethical, and clinical practice that licensees must meet.

When the College was established in 2024 through amalgamation, existing standards of practice, codes of conduct, codes of ethics, handbooks, and guidance were carried over from legacy colleges for all professions, with the understanding that they would be replaced with professional standards and clinical practice standards.   

On April 1, 2026, all existing standards of practice, codes of conduct, codes of ethics, handbooks, and guidance will no longer be in force.  

A list of retired standards of practice, codes of conduct, codes of ethics, handbooks, and guidance will be made available after April 1, 2026. 

Standards are developed through meaningful collaboration with Indigenous partners, professional practice subject matter experts, and members of the public with support from College staff.

This comprehensive engagement ensures that the ethical and professional expectations for all four professions reflect public expectations for high-quality care and align with the regulatory requirements established under the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA).  

The College’s standards framework consists of two types of standards:  

Professional Standards: 

• Set out the minimum expectations for professionalism and ethical conduct that all licensees must meet. 

Clinical Practice Standards: 

• Requirements for higher-risk areas of professional scope of practice, which may vary by profession. Clinical practice standards are developed and maintained when required by legislation, or where they are determined to be necessary according to a risk-based framework that incorporates the principles of right touch regulation.  

The new standards are organized into overarching principles and outcome statements that reflect public expectations for care. The requirements for meeting each principle are outlined in detail below the respective principle. 

All of the College’s standards continue to uphold core expectations required of licensees to provide safe, ethical, respectful, and high-quality care. What has changed is the move to a unified principle-based, right-touch regulatory approach that applies consistency to all four professions regulated by CCHPBC. 

This updated approach places greater emphasis on patient outcomes, anti-discrimination, anti-racism, and professional accountability, while reducing reliance on prescriptive rules.  

Consistency across professions – Previously, each college had its own standards, creating duplication and confusion. 

Public protection, trust, and anti-discrimination – Standards now emphasize patient outcomes, anti-discrimination, anti-bias, and prevention of harm (e.g., sexual misconduct). 

Right-touch regulation – Standards are proportionate to risk, and move from prescriptive, rule-heavy language to principle-based, outcome-focused standards. 

Transparency and accessibility – Standards are written in plain language so both licensees and the public can understand expectations.  

Accountability – Licensees must exercise professional judgement and discretion, not just follow rules.  

The standards are not intended to be used as standalone documents. Rather, they form an interconnected and interdependent framework for professional, ethical, and clinical practice that must be considered as a whole.  

Licensees should move through the standards holistically by reading across principles, making connections among expectations and integrating them with relevant policies, practice resources, and regulatory requirements while applying professional judgement and addressing individual patient needs. 

By making these connections, licensees gain the foundational knowledge required to support professional and ethical practice that supports safe, competent care. 

Licensees can review the resources below for support on applying the standards in their practice. Additional resources will be made available to all licensees over the coming weeks and months.

Resources:

• HPOA Webinar Series
• Support from a practice advisor: practicesupport@cchpbc.ca

For chiropractic:

• Frequently Asked Questions – Clinical Practice Standard: Chiropractic Diagnostic Imaging 

• Webinar – Chiropractic Diagnostic Imaging Standard 

• News release – Chiropractic Diagnostic Imaging Standard