Ensuring proactive regulatory initiatives align with the public interest

Regulation of health professions in Ontario has been under scrutiny in recent years with critical media attention and multiple legislative reform measures. The College of Medical Laboratory Technologists of Ontario's proactive regulatory initiative on steering professional culture, described by Wilkie and Tzountzouris (2017) in their discussion paper, is an example of a regulator evolving its role in the face of changing healthcare demands. In this response, we emphasize how regulators considering these types of initiatives need to ensure the focus remains on transparently carrying out their legislative duty of serving and protecting the public interest. We suggest future proactive regulatory initiatives could benefit from public engagement and regulatory collaboration.