Ontario Trial Lawyers Association (OTLA)

Good afternoon,

Please find attached OTLA’s Submission to the CPSO regarding the Closing a Medical Practice (Policy).
 

Response in PDF format.

Dear CPSO Policy Department,

Thank you for the invitation to provide feedback on the CPSO Closing a Medical Practice policy draft.

We have reviewed the document and have a few suggestions that the College may want to consider:

• It could be a good idea to include a sample letter for each different cause of leaving a practice (retirement, resignation, relocation, et cetera) so that members can ensure they are using appropriate and clear language.

• Under the “Facilitating Access to Prescription Medication” section, it may be helpful to include suggestions on how to ensure proper continuity of care for individuals on opioids.

• It may be worthwhile having a section/link for rural physicians, as many communities have no other physician to transfer care to.

• Additional information on how to deal with transferring the care of complex patients would be helpful.

We once again appreciate being included in the CPSO's consultative process.

Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA)

Response in PDF format.

Please give thought to a few ideas:
1. Consider allowing a retiring MD to notify the CPSO and to be able to post this on the website (“anticipated practice closure by…”)
2. Consider a time limited CPSO discounted license status that allows for record access and prescription renewal without ongoing OHIP billing’s over $x per year to allow for a phase out .
3. Many EMRs cannot be accessed without an active CPSO license. This can make it difficult to fulfill the goals of the revised policy to promote a smooth transition prior to closing.