A Standard of Practice is the minimum standard of professional behaviour and ethical conduct on a specific issue expected by the College.

A Practice Guideline is a recommendation developed by the College with which members should be familiar and follow whenever and wherever possible and appropriate.

I.   Patient Care

A.  Drugs/Prescribing

1.    MMT Standards and Guidelines (June 2018)
2.    Dispensing of Medications by Physicians:  Standard of Practice (December 2018)
3.    Medical Marihuana:  Advisory and Interim Guideline
4.    Suboxone:  Practice Guideline (June 2017)
5.    Opioid Prescribing:  Practice Guideline (September 2017)
6.    Prescribing Opioids for Acute Pain:  Practice Guideline (December 2017)
7.    Prescribing:  Standard of Practice (June 2018)

B.  Patient-Physician Relationship

1.    Boundary Violations:  Standard of Practice (March 2021)
2.    Physician Treatment of Self, Family Members or Other Close to Them:  Standard of Practice (March 2017)
3.    Accepting New Patients:  Standard of Practice (March 2017)
4.    Ending the Physician-Patient Relationship:  Standard of Practice (September 2017)

 

C.  Other

1.    Chaperones:  Standard of Practice (March 2021)
2.    Medical Assistance in Dying:  Standard of Practice (March 2017) 
3.    Complementary & Alternative Medicine:  Standard of Practice (March 2017)
4.    Continuity of Care:  Standard of Practice (March 2021)
5.    Independent Medical Examinations:  Practice Guideline (June 2019)
6.    Disclosure of Harm:  Standard of Practice (March 2021)
7.    Conflict of Interest:  Standard of Practice (March 2018)
8.    Medical/Surgical Procedures in Non-Hospital Facilities:  Standard of Practice (June 2018)
9.    Consent to Treatment:  Standard of Practice (June 2019)
10.  Physical Examinations:  Standard of Practice (March 2021)

II.  Administrative

1.    Advertising:  Standard of Practice (March 2021)
2.    Virtual Care:  Standard of Practice (March 2021)
3.    Bloodborne Viruses:  Standard of Practice (March 2021)
4.    Closure of Medical Practice and Extended Leave from Practice:  Practice Guideline (September 2017)
5.    Uninsured Services:  Practice Guideline (September 2017)
6.    Withdrawal of Physician Services During a Job Action:  Standard of Practice (March 2018)
7.    Physician Use of Social Media:  Practice Guideline (March 2018)

III. Mandatory Reporting

Physicians have a legal and professional obligation to maintain the confidentiality of patient information.  There are circumstances, however, where physicians are required to report particular events or clinical conditions to the appropriate government or regulatory agency.

The list below does not represent an exhaustive list of physicians’ legal responsibilities with respect to mandatory reporting.  Physicians must stay informed of their duties and should seek the guidance of legal counsel or the Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA) where necessary.

1.    Public Health Protection and Promotion Act
2.    Duty to Report a Colleague:  Standard of Practice (June 2020)
3.    Notifiable Diseases
4.    Child and Youth Abuse and Neglect
5.    Adult Abuse and Neglect
6.    Highway Traffic Act
7.    Gunshot and Stab Wound

IV. Undergraduate/Postgraduate Students

1.    Professional Responsibilities in Medical Education:  Standard of Practice (September 2017)


V.  Code of Ethics and Professionalism


1.    CMA Code of Ethics and Professionalism (December 2018)

 

Consultations


The College is currently reviewing all feedback received on the draft Standards of Practice: Boundary Violations, Closure of Practice, and Continuity of Care.  Thank you to those who took the time to provide feedback.

The College will consider all feedback submitted and incorporate changes to these documents to ensure they reflect current practice issues, embody the duties of medical professionalism, and are consistent with the College’s mandate to act in the public interest.  

The final versions of these documents will be circulated to all College Members and linked to this page once approved by the College Council.