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:  Practice Guideline (June 2015)
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 and Sensitive Examinations:  Practice Guideline (December 2016)
2.    Medical Assistance in Dying:  Standard of Practice (March 2017) 
3.    Complementary & Alternative Medicine:  Standard of Practice (March 2017)
4.    Continuity of Care: Outpatient Consultation:  Practice Guideline
5.    Independent Medical Examinations:  Practice Guideline (June 2019)
6.    Disclosure of an Adverse Outcome:  Practice Guideline 
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)

II.  Administrative

1.    Advertising and Public Communications:  Practice Guideline (December 2016)
2.    Telemedicine:  Standard of Practice (March 2017)
3.    Blood-Borne Pathogens (February 2014)
4.    Responsibility for Continuity of Care for Patients without a Family Physician:  Practice Guideline
5.    Closure of Medical Practice and Extended Leave from Practice:  Practice Guideline (September 2017)
6.    Uninsured Services:  Practice Guideline (September 2017)
7.    Withdrawal of Physician Services During a Job Action:  Standard of Practice (March 2018)
8.    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 seeking feedback on three draft Standards of Practice.  We welcome your diverse opinions as we assess the College’s expectations of physicians on the topics of Boundary Violations, Closure of Practice, and Continuity of Care. 

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 draft Standards of Practice can be viewed below:


Boundary Violations (Amended)

This amended policy sets out the College’s expectations for physicians in establishing and maintaining appropriate boundaries with patients. The amended policy includes a definition of a “patient” and a presumption regarding when a physician-patient relationship has ended for the purposes of sexual boundary violations. 


Closing or Leaving a Medical Practice (Amended)

This amended policy sets out the College’s expectations for physicians who close their practice or take an extended (>3 month) leave from practice. The amended policy includes additional guidance on retention and transfer of medical records and management of laboratory and imaging reports. 


Continuity of Care (New)

This new policy sets out the College’s expectations on a number of topics relating to continuity of care, including:

• Referrals and Consultations;
• Transfer of Care;
• Availability and Coverage;
• Management of Diagnostic Test Results; and
• Walk-In Clinic Practices. 


We invite your feedback on these draft Standards of Practice.  Please submit your comments by email to consultation@cpsnl.ca on or before January 22, 2021.  All feedback will be acknowledged by return email.