Policy
When can
physicians provide
care to those
closest to them?
illustration: nathalie dion
T
he College has approved
a policy that sets out the
circumstances in which
it may be acceptable for
physicians to provide treatment to
individuals with whom they have a
personal or close relationship.
In its revised policy, Physician
Treatment of Self, Family Members and Others Close to Them,
the College maintains the position,
based on the literature, that there
are a number of ways in which compromised objectivity can manifest
when physicians treat themselves
and the people closest to them.
“We understand that physicians
wish to be of assistance to their loved
ones by providing medical care,” said
Dr. Joel Kirsh, College President.
“However, relevant literature consistently indicates that a physician’s
ability to maintain the necessary
amount of emotional and clinical
objectivity required for professional
judgment can be compromised in
this context.”
The policy is included in this issue.
A Frequently Asked Questions document has been developed to provide
guidance to the profession on various
issues raised in the policy. It is available on the website.
6 Things to know about the updated policy:
1. D
efines family members and
others close to the physician as
having a relationship of such a
nature that it could reasonably
affect the physician’s professional
judgment to provide treatment to
that individual;
2. P
rohibits physicians from providing treatment for themselves or
family members, except in the
limited circumstances of a minor
condition or emergency and where
another qualified health-care professional is not readily available;
3. A
dvises physicians to carefully
consider whether it is appropriate to provide treatment to others
close to them. If the relationship
is of such a nature that it could
reasonably affect the physician’s
professional judgment, then the
physician should not treat that
individual except in the limited cir-
cumstances set out in the policy;
4. Advises physicians that relationships can change over time and
may need to be re-evaluated to
determine that it is still permissible
for the physician to treat a particular person;
5. Advises physicians that treating
spouses or sexual/romantic partners beyond the limited exceptions
of a minor condition or an emergency, and where another qualified
health-care professional is not
readily available, may give rise to a
physician-patient relationship and
as a result, the sexual abuse provisions of the legislation would apply;
6. Clarifies that the law prohibits
physicians from prescribing, even
in emergencies, certain drugs/
substances for themselves, family
members or others close to them
in a non-patient context.
Changes made in response to consultation feedback
•Specific examples of minor conditions have been included in the
Terminology section of the policy;
• The Frequently Asked Questions
document explains that the policy
applies to refills in the same manner
as to new prescriptions; and
• A discussion has been included in
the Frequently Asked Questions
document about the applicability of
the policy to medical practice in rural
and isolated communities.
Issue 1, 2016 Dialogue
19