Introducing the new Local Anaesthetic Module
Note: This email is for information only. No action is currently required of registrants.
Registrants who are certified to administer local anaesthesia (LA) must renew their certification (C) annually during the licence renewal period. Re-certification is required once every five years as part of registrants’ Quality Assurance Program (QAP) cycle.
As noted in earlier communications, the CDHBC Quality Assurance Committee (QAC) determined that an online module is the most appropriate learning activity requirement for LA re-certification for continued safe practice of LA.
The new LA Module—which is modelled after the Jurisprudence Education Module (JEM)—is ready now. However, no action is required of registrants at this time. Registrants whose QAP cycle ends in December 2022 who wish to maintain their LA certification will be the first cohort required to complete the new LA Module.
There is no cost to registrants to complete the LA Module.
Eligibility for CC credits
Registrants who complete the LA Module will be able to claim three Continuing Competency (CC) credits for the module towards the required 75 credits within their current QAP cycle, as approved by the College’s Quality Assurance Committee in October 2021.
Why CDHBC landed on a certification model for LA
As part of the Dental Hygienists Regulations and CDHBC Bylaw updates in March 2020, this certification model replaces the requirement of having a dentist on site in order to administer LA. As the administration of LA is considered a higher risk restricted activity and it is not part of the scope of practice for all Canadian jurisdictions, the certification model supports the inclusion of LA in the scope of practice in BC while maintaining public safety and confidence. The LA Module supports the College’s mission of protecting the public by ensuring registrants maintain current knowledge of oral local anaesthetic and competence to administer it safely. This module fulfills a requirement of College Bylaw 47.1(2)(b).
More detail about the LA Module
The LA Module consists of five sections and is hosted on the same online platform as the JEM. Registrants will work through the module until they receive 100 per cent on each section quiz, which consists of multiple-choice questions. Registrants are given unlimited attempts to successfully complete each quiz. This a learning-focused module, not an assessment. We expect it will take registrants approximately 3 hours to complete.
The objective of the LA Module is to review the foundational knowledge related to LA administration to ensure registrants continue to practice safely and competently, consistent with current practice. The content within the module is not new and covers information that registrants who are certified to administer LA already know. Topics that are covered include pharmacology of various local anaesthetic drugs and vasoconstrictors, maximum recommended dose calculations, injection techniques, and how to document following best-practice guidelines.
While the LA Module is open now and registrants are welcome to explore it, please only log in to the module when you plan to complete it in the near future. You are able to bookmark your progress and log back in to complete it, but if too much time lapses between logins, your bookmarked progress may no longer be there.
For more information about the LA Module, please visit the College’s new LA Module webpage.
LA certification renewal and re-certification requirements
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LA Renewal
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LA Re-Certification
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Renewal of your (C) is required annually during the license renewal period.
During the renewal period every year, registrants will need to not only renew their license to practice dental hygiene, but also their certification to administer LA (the "C" on their license). For those that no longer wish to administer LA, they can opt out and would no longer be licensed to administer LA.
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To maintain LA certification, registrants must complete the LA Module as part of their five-year QAP cycle.
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