AB-029: Bill 29: Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2026

The businesses most directly affected are pharmacies and regulated health professionals — such as physicians, nurse practitioners, and other clinicians — operating anywhere in Alberta. Pharmacies will face new recordkeeping obligations around 'written orders' that allow regulated health professionals to purchase certain Schedule 1 drugs directly without a prescription, meaning staff will need to log every such sale, track transfers, and comply with new council-adopted standards. Regulated health professionals in private or community clinic settings may now offer certain preventative health testing services directly to patients who walk in without a referral, and those services could be billed through the provincial health plan — opening a potential new revenue stream for solo practitioners or small clinic operators. Health foundations, hospital operators, and regional health authorities will also see updated rules around asset acquisition, governance, and severance pay recovery that affect their financial and HR administration.