Canadian chiropractors asking province to allow ordering of X-rays

Canadian chiropractors on the province of Prince Edward Island (PEI) are asking officials for the ability to authorize direct X-ray orders rather than first going through a family doctor to get a requisition.

Chiropractors in other Canadian provinces can already order X-rays directly, and the Chiropractic Association of PEI argues that the current structure prevents patients from receiving timely care.

Chris McCarthy is the president of the Chiropractic Association of PEI.

“What I would do is take a patient, send them back to their family physician. A lot of times I’d send them a letter. The patient would then have to schedule an appointment,” said McCarthy, speaking to the CBC.

Prince Edward Island is the smallest of Canada’s 13 provinces in terms of land area and population, but is the most densely populated. The “Garden of the Gulf” joined Canada as a province in 1873, and is located northeast of Maine.