CPSM: Council meeting Update

Press Release

January 05, 2026

Council meetings are held quarterly. The last Council meeting of 2025 was held on Wednesday, December 10, 2025. Below are important highlights from the meeting.

Approved: Public Consultation on updated draft Collaborative Care Standard of Practice

Council approved the updated draft Collaborative Care Standard of Practice for consultation.

In 2024, the working group, made up of specialists and family physicians practicing in rural and urban locations, and public representatives, reviewed the existing standard of practice on collaborative care, developed new principles for the standard, and revised it.

Since last spring, CPSM held four pre-consultations with registrants. In October, we co-participated in the Doctors Manitoba Referral & Consultation Summit, which had over 100 registrants in attendance. Preliminary feedback received led to further revisions to the standard.

Council reviewed the draft standard and will seek feedback from the profession and the public through a public consultation starting next week.

Approved: New working group to review prescribing Opioids, Benzodiazepines & Z-Drugs

Council approved the creation of a new working group to review the following:

• Standard of Practice – Prescribing Opioids,
• Standard of Practice – Prescribing Benzodiazepines & Z-Drugs
• Practice Direction – Rural, Remote, and Underserved Populations: Access to Prescribed Drugs.

The Prescribing Opioids Standard came into effect on January 1, 2019, and the Prescribing Benzodiazepines & Z-Drugs Standard came into effect on Nov 1, 2020.

The working group will review prescribing and drug use data from 2015 to 2025 for medications affected by these Standards to assess the impacts since the implementation of these standards.

A combination of registrants and public representatives who have experience in emergency medicine, family medicine, geriatric psychiatry, pharmacy, opioid agonist therapy, Indigenous health issues, and rural and remote issues.

The working group members include:

• Gwen Traverse, Indigenous Health Director, Pinaymootang First Nation
• Lessie Agger, CPSM Councillor, Public Representative
• Dr. Murray Enns, Psychiatry
• Dr. Sara Matyas, Addiction Medicine
• Dr. Jesse Howatt, Family Medicine, Rural
• Dr. Dan Hunt, Emergency Medicine
• Dr. Bruce Martin, Pediatrics and Palliative Care,
• Dr. Leila Nasiri, Family Medicine, Urban
• Kevin Hamilton and Kim McIntosh, College of Pharmacists of Manitoba

Approved for development: New Standard of Practice – Sensitive Examinations

Council authorized the development of a new Standard of Practice to address sensitive examinations.

In recent high-profile sexual assault cases, prosecution sources provided feedback to CPSM that there is not enough public awareness of the expectations of sensitive examinations. This puts populations who may lack medical knowledge or literacy, and who may not know what to expect from such examinations, at risk.

The Standard of Practice – Sexual Boundaries with Patients, Former Patients & Interdependent Persons establishes standards for what registrants are not to do when conducting a sensitive examination. While it is important to be explicit about what not to do, it’s equally critical to explain what to do. The new standard will provide registrants with direction on what is appropriate, and clear expectations will help the public understand the purpose of examinations, what is appropriate, and what to expect, promoting transparency and building trust in the care they receive.

The standard will provide a foundation of educational awareness for both registrants and the public.

Approved: 2026-27 Budget Approval Schedule Change

Starting this fiscal year and moving forward, Council will approve the annual operating budget at the March Council meeting as presented and will update the Fee Bylaw with the revised fees at the June Council meeting.

International Medical Graduates (IMG)/Internationally Trained Physicians (ITPs) Working Group Update

The IMG/ITP working group provided an update.

• The group distributed a survey to full registrants and clinical assistants in September. The survey received 299 responses. Highlights from the survey were provided. A report is being developed for broader distribution to registrants and partners.
• The first two-day orientation has been scheduled for January for registrants who have not practiced in Canada for one year or longer, with the goal of better preparing them for success in an unfamiliar environment. Four other sessions are scheduled for 2026, accommodating 20-30 participants each.
• The working group continues to develop the draft Standard of Practice. It will set expectations for IMGs/ITPs entering practice and is anticipated to be finalized after survey results are thoroughly analyzed.
• The group has explored collaborating with a researcher studying IMG/ITP learning needs to share insights and develop future publications.

Modernizing the Councillor election process

Council approved amendments to The Affairs of the College Bylaw & Amendments to Governance Policy and Governance Council Policy (see the Policy and Regulation Updates table below for details).

A public consultation was held from October 17 to November 16, 2025, seeking feedback on a modernized Councillor election process, including:

1. A Councillor profile, which lists the desirable attributes for Councillors.
2. A committee to oversee and administer the nomination process.
3. Limits on length of service on Council.
4. Modernizing electoral districts and the entitlement to vote for Councillors in all districts

The Election Committee was appointed. They include current Councillors, Dr. Kevin Convery, President Elect, Mr. Neil Cohen, public representative, and Dr. Rizwan Manji, as well as a female Councillor (to be determined).

Policy and Regulation Updates

ILR4