discipline summaries
•D
r. Armstrong concentrated on giving vitamins,
minerals and amino acids, which are not the standard of care. Her focus regarding this patient was
on chemical sensitivities and metal toxicities.
Reasons for Penalty
Counsel for the College and counsel for the member
made a joint submission as to an appropriate penalty
and costs order. The Committee accepted the submission as appropriate.
The Committee was concerned that while Dr.
Armstrong has a specific interest in a particular area
of medicine, she failed as a general practitioner to
consider the patient’s needs as a whole. General practitioners, if unable to provide care in a certain area,
must refer for assistance. The Committee is confident
that an order specifying that Dr. Armstrong only see
patients who are also under the care of a family physician or appropriate specialist will ensure the protection of the patients in Dr. Armstrong’s care in the
future, and maintain the public’s trust in the medical
profession’s ability to self-regulate.
Counsel for the College provided the Committee
with the College’s, “Complementary/Alternative
Medicine” policy, for review. The Committee was
advised that Dr. Armstrong intends to only provide complementary medicine and does not intend
to carry on a general practice. Dr. Armstrong has
undertaken to practise under supervision for one year
and will undergo reassessment of her practice six to
nine months after the completion of the supervision.
The proposed terms, conditions and limitations on
Dr. Armstrong’s certificate of registration, by way
of an undertaking with the College, will ensure that
another physician is involved in the care of Dr. Armstrong’s patients in the future.
Dr. Armstrong failed to maintain the standard of
the profession by, among other things, failing to
refer Patient A to another physician, and should be
reprimanded. A reprimand allows the Committee
to denounce her conduct and send a message to the
membership at large that there is an expected standard to which all physicians must practise, and that
failure to meet such standards is unacceptable.
The Committee acknowledged the mitigating factors, namely Dr. Armstrong’s admission and cooperation with the College by way of the Agreed State-
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ment of Facts and Joint Submission on Penalty, and
the fact that this case is her first appearance before
the Discipline Committee.
The Committee has the jurisdiction to award costs
where appropriate. In this case, the Committee
found that the order of costs of $4,460 to the College, representing a partial recovery on the costs of
conducting the hearing, is appropriate. In the Committee’s view, the cost of the hearing should be at
least in part the responsibility of the member and not
borne solely by the membership as a whole.
Order
The Discipline Committee ordered and directed that:
1. Dr. Armstrong appear before the panel to be reprimanded.
2. The Registrar impose the following terms, conditions and limitations on Dr. Armstrong’s certificate of
registration:
(a) Dr. Armstrong shall engage in clinical supervision
and a reassessment of her practice in accordance
with the terms of her undertaking, attached to
the Order;
(b) Effective immediately, Dr. Armstrong will require
that all of her current patients have a family
physician or certified specialist who will provide
concurrent care and to whom she will send information about all treatment she initiates or she has
initiated and any changes to that treatment that
she provides to the patient. Dr. Armstrong will
provide each of her current patients (i.e., patients
of hers as of the date of the undertaking) with a
period of 45 days to obtain care from a primary
care physician or appropriate specialist, and will
not take on any new patient who does not have a
primary care physician or appropriate specialist.
Dr. Armstrong will cease treating any of her current patients who have not arranged concurrent
care as set out above by January 31, 2015; and
(c) Dr. Armstrong shall post a sign in her waiting
room and each of her examination rooms, in
each of her practice locations, in a clearly visible
location, that states: “I require that all of my current patients have a family physician or certified
specialist who will provide concurrent care and to
whom I will send information about all treatment
I initiate or have initiated and any changes to that
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