15 new medical professions in Poland – from March 26, 2024
Publication date: April 15, 2024
15 new medical professions in Poland – the new act of law entered into force on March 26, 2024. Importantly, work is still underway on the regulation specifying professional activities for individual medical professions, and this is important in the context of employers entrusting the scope of responsibilities to persons performing these new medical professions, such as also the need to ensure the health safety of patients.
New medical professions in Poland – from March 26, 2024.
Draft regulation of the Minister of Health on a detailed list of professional activities of persons performing certain medical professions.
The Act of August 17, 2023 on certain medical professions regulates 15 medical professions.
The Act specifies the rules for performing the following medical professions: a) dental assistant, b) electroradiologist, c) dental hygienist, d) addiction therapy instructor, e) medical caregiver, f) optometrist, g) orthoptist, h) podiatrist, i) preventive practitioner, j) hearing aid technician, k) pharmaceutical technician, l) masseur technician, m) orthopedic technician, n) medical sterilization technician, o) occupational therapist.
Central Register of Persons Authorized to Practice the Medical Profession
The Central Register of Persons Authorized to Practice the Medical Profession is a public register within the meaning of Art. 3 point 5 of the Act of February 17, 2005 on the computerization of the activities of entities carrying out public tasks (Journal of Laws of 2023, items 57, 1123, 1234 and 1703) conducted by the minister responsible for health matters. The register contains data of people practicing medical professions.
As the Act states, practicing a given medical profession consists of:
1) performing professional activities in the field of assisting a dentist and keeping the office ready for work – in the case of a dental assistant;
2) performing professional activities in the field of radiology, imaging, ultrasound, electromedical diagnostics, interventional radiology, electrophysiology, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy and carrying out radiological protection tasks for the patient and staff – in the case of an electroradiologist;
3) performing professional activities in the field of prevention and promotion of oral health and participating in the treatment process – in the case of a dental hygienist;
4) performing professional activities under the supervision of an addiction psychotherapy specialist in the field of therapeutic support provided to patients with disorders related to the use of psychoactive substances or behavioral addictions and their relatives – in the case of an addiction therapy instructor;
5) performing professional activities in the field of medicine, nursing and care – in the case of a medical caregiver;
6) performing professional activities in the field of optometry – in the case of an optometrist;
7) performing professional activities in the field of orthoptics – in the case of an orthoptist;
8) performing professional activities related to the treatment of foot diseases and the prevention of these diseases – in the case of a podiatrist;
9) performing professional activities in the field of prevention, health promotion and health education – in the case of prevention;
10) performing professional activities in the field of hearing testing and prosthetics – in the case of a hearing care professional;
11) performance, to the extent and under the terms specified in the Act of September 6, 2001 – Pharmaceutical Law,
of professional activities in the field of preparation and production of medicinal products and trading in medicinal products, medical devices, dietary supplements and foodstuffs for particular nutritional uses and other products authorized for marketing in pharmacies under the law – in the case of a pharmaceutical technician;
12) performing professional activities in the field of massage and conducting preventive activities popularizing health-promoting behaviors – in the case of a massage therapist;
13) performing professional activities in the field of orthopedic supplies and orthopedic items and auxiliary products – in the case of an orthopedic technician;
14) performing professional activities in the field of decontamination of medical equipment and devices – in the case of a medical sterilization technician;
15) performing professional activities in the field of diagnosis as part of occupational therapy, conducting individual and group occupational therapy, assessing its effects and organizing therapeutic activities aimed at improving the physical, mental and social functioning as well as the social and professional integration of people covered by them – in the case of an occupational therapist.
A person practicing a medical profession has the right and obligation to continue professional development by updating his or her knowledge and professional skills (this may be achieved through postgraduate education or professional development).
According to the justification for the draft regulation of the Minister of Health on a detailed list of professional activities of persons performing certain medical professions, it constitutes the execution of the statutory authorization contained in Art. 13 section 4. The draft regulation specifies a detailed list of professional activities that persons practicing medical professions covered by the act are authorized to perform, taking into account the knowledge and skills acquired in the course of education enabling obtaining qualifications in these professions. Individual scopes of professional activities have been developed based on the scope of education conducted in the above-mentioned competitions. Specifying professional activities for individual medical professions in the proposed regulation is important in the context of employers entrusting the scope of responsibilities to persons performing medical professions, as well as the need to ensure the health safety of patients. It is proposed that the provisions of the regulation entered into force on March 26, 2024 – which is correlated with the date of entry into force of the Act.
