Right-Touch Regulation
COVID-19 FAQs were updated in real time to provide flexible guidance in light of the realities of practising in a pandemic . about the prospect of the health-care system being overwhelmed by patients requiring acute and critical care resources . As the pandemic wore on , there were indications that the isolation of lockdown was exacerbating the opioid crisis . Through all of this , members of the public and the profession turned to the College for guidance . We responded by :
Providing COVID-19 FAQs that were updated in real time to provide flexible guidance in light of the realities of practising in a pandemic ;
Supporting more flexible prescribing practices of controlled drugs and substances in line with Health Canada exemptions and new guidelines from CAMH in order to promote social distancing and isolation .
Reducing system burnout by endorsing the Chief Medical Officer of Health ’ s directive by encouraging physicians to minimize non-essential care or shift to virtual care .
Reminding physicians that during an emergency they can practise outside of their scope , provided certain conditions are met , to support the system response and help facilitate access to care .
Supporting limited exceptions to the Physician Treatment of Self , Family , or Others Close to Them policy to help relieve pressure on the system if needed .
Recognizing that physician safety is essential to supporting the pandemic response , we set out parameters to support appropriate decision-making regarding the provision of care where there is not appropriate personal protective equipment ( PPE ).
Coordinating with all ‘ out of hospital premises ’ to help identify the availability of ventilators not currently in use and worked closely with the Ministry of Health and the University of Toronto to develop a plan to rollout their use should they be needed .
Working with others and providing input into a triage protocol that would enable the system to allocate scarce critical care resources in a fair and just manner should the need for these resources exceed their availability .
14 // CPSO ANNUAL REPORT 2020