Alberta nurse practitioners can now complete driver medicals

by Today's Trucking

EDMONTON, Alta. – Alberta will now allow nurse practitioners to complete driver medical examinations, required of commercial drivers, any drivers over 75, and those with specific medical conditions.

About 150,000 driver medical exams are filed with Alberta Transportation each year. Most of them are for people applying for a commercial driver’s licence.

(Photo: iStock)

“Nurse practitioners are already able to complete the tasks to assess a driver’s medical fitness, but they are not legally allowed to conduct a driver medical exam and fill out the driver medical form in Alberta,” said Alberta Transportation Minister Ric McIver. “This change is long overdue and will reduce red tape while increasing Albertans’ access to services without affecting safety on our roads.”

“Nurse practitioners have advanced qualifications that enable them to provide independent primary care in Alberta. This is a welcome change and will give nurse practitioners more opportunities to work to their full scope of practice,” added Mary-Elizabeth Cooper, president of the Nurse Practitioner Association of Alberta.

The provincial government is also considering whether other health care providers would be qualified to conduct driver medical exams.

Medical exams must be completed for a Class 1, 2 or 4 commercial driver’s licence every five years until the age of 45, every two years from 45-65, and annually after the age of 65.

Class 3, 5, 6 and 7 drivers require the exams once they turn 75 and 80, and every two years after 80.


Have your say


This is a moderated forum. Comments will no longer be published unless they are accompanied by a first and last name and a verifiable email address. (Today's Trucking will not publish or share the email address.) Profane language and content deemed to be libelous, racist, or threatening in nature will not be published under any circumstances.

*