M-8, r. 4 - Code of ethics of veterinary surgeons

Section 45 Disposition versions

2012-09-01

45. In addition to the derogatory acts referred to in sections 57, 58, 58.1, 59.1 and those that may be determined pursuant to the second paragraph of section 152 of the Professional Code (chapter C-26), the following are derogatory to the dignity of the profession of veterinary surgeon:

(1)  using physical, verbal or psychological abuse against a client;

(2)  harassing, intimidating or threatening a person with whom the veterinary surgeon interacts in the practice of his profession;

(3)  harassing, intimidating or threatening a person who has requested an inquiry or any other person involved in the events related to the inquiry or the complaint once the veterinary surgeon has been informed that an inquiry is being held or has been served with a notice of complaint regarding conduct or professional competence;

(4)  communicating with the complainant without the prior written permission of the syndic or an assistant syndic once the veterinary surgeon has been informed of an inquiry into his conduct or professional competence or once a disciplinary complaint has been served on him;

(5)  claiming a sum of money from a client for all or part of a professional service the cost of which is assumed by a third person;

(6)  claiming fees for professional acts that have not been performed or are falsely described, providing or allowing the personnel working with him to provide receipts, veterinary prescriptions, certificates or other documents falsely indicating that a medication has been sold on prescription or a professional service has been provided;

(7)  selling, giving, administering or distributing expired or unused medication returned by a client to the veterinary surgeon;

(8)  prescribing, selling, providing or administering medications not approved by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency as veterinary biologics, or by Health Canada for other medications. A veterinary surgeon may, however, prescribe, sell, provide or administer medications prepared extemporaneously or recognized for a different use, provided that the medications are approved by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency as veterinary biologics, or by Health Canada for other medications;

(9)  buying or selling samples of medications;

(10)  repeatedly or insistently urging a person to retain the veterinary surgeon’s professional services;

(11)  failing to inform the Order that the veterinary surgeon has reason to believe that a veterinary surgeon is incompetent or that a veterinary surgeon or a partnership or joint-stock company within which veterinary surgeons practise is in breach of the Professional Code, the Veterinary Surgeons Act (chapter M-8) or a regulation under the Code or the Act;

(12)  carrying on professional activities within a partnership or joint-stock company that holds itself out as or implies that it is a partnership or joint-stock company within which a veterinary surgeon is authorized to carry on professional activities when one of the requirements in the Professional Code or its regulations is not met;

(13)  entering into an agreement or permitting an agreement to be entered into within a partnership or joint-stock company in which a veterinary surgeon is authorized to carry on professional activities, including a unanimous shareholders’ agreement, if the agreement operates to threaten the independence, objectivity and integrity required for the practice of the profession or compliance by the veterinary surgeons with the Professional Code, the Veterinary Surgeons Act and their regulations; and

(14)  when carrying on professional activities within a partnership or joint-stock company, failing to take reasonable measures to put an end to, or prevent the repeated performance of, an act derogatory to the dignity of the profession performed by another veterinary surgeon carrying on professional activities within the partnership or joint-stock company, and that was brought to the veterinary surgeon’s attention more than 30 days earlier.

O.C. 1149-93, s. 45; O.C. 364-2008, s. 34.