Taking time away
Temporarily inactive status
Licensees may wish to take time away from their practice in British Columbia.
If a physician or surgeon has a temporarily inactive status, they cannot actively practice medicine in BC, including providing clinical care, prescribing drugs, or billing the Medical Services Plan.
Requests for a change to temporarily inactive status are not granted for leaves for humanitarian aid work.
Licensees may need to take time away from work for health reasons at some point during their career.
Licensees who transition to temporarily inactive – parental leave may be eligible for a waiver or a pro-rated refund of their annual licence renewal fees minus a processing fee.
Licensees are not required to inform CPSBC they are taking parental leave. However, licensees who choose not to change their status to temporarily inactive – parental leave are not eligible for a refund or exemption from paying licence fees.
Complete and submit the form to licensing@cpsbc.ca at least two weeks prior to the start of the leave period.
Reminder to renew this status yearly
Licensees with the temporarily inactive status are required to answer the annual licence renewal form, even while they are away.
Not practising in BC status
Licensees who are not actively practising in BC or who are relocating to another province, territory or country, for more than two months and want to maintain their licence in BC, should email licensing@cpsbc.ca to change their status to not practising in BC.
No billing or prescribing in BC
Licensees with the not practising in BC status cannot bill or prescribe in BC.
Postgraduate study outside of BC
CPSBC licensees may temporarily relocate to another province, territory or country to complete a period of formal postgraduate training.
They may be eligible for a pro-rated refund of annual licence fees if they intend to temporarily cease practice in BC during this time. Eligible licensees can make a refund request by email and include a letter from their program director confirming the details of their training.