reports from council
Treating Those Closest to You
Approved policy states that objectivity may be compromised
C
photos: D.W. Dorken
This is a brief
overview of the
discussions and
decisions made
at the February
Council meeting.
ouncil 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.
The policy is now online and includes Frequently Asked Questions.
An article about the revised policy is
on page 19.
Prescribing Naloxone for Opioid Overdose Emergency Kits
Council has revised the Prescribing
Drugs policy to permit physicians
to prescribe naloxone outside of a
physician-patient relationship for distribution in opioid overdose emergency kits. Naloxone is a drug that can
reverse the life-threatening effects of
an opioid overdose, and is currently
available by prescription-only.
Please see article on page 20.
Fee increase Approved
Council has approved a $25 increase
to the membership fee. The change to
the Fees By-law sets the membership
fee at $1,595 for the year beginning
June 1, 2016.
The fee increase is necessary to meet
the costs of increasing activity at the
College. The costs reflect, among
other costs, the sheer volume and increasing complexity of College investigations and the increasing numbers
of incapacity investigations.
Dr. Joel Kirsh, College President,
discusses the fee increase in his letter
to the profession on page 5.
Issue 1, 2016 Dialogue
15