Standards
& Policy
Central to the role of the College is establishing and updating standards and policies that articulate for the public
and the profession the expectations of veterinarians in practice.
In 2015, Council continued its work in
Visit www.cvo.org to access official documents
establishing clear Professional Practice
including regulations, by-laws, standards and policies.
Standards (PPS) that apply to all licensed
veterinarians and specify expected
behaviour in relation to different areas of practice risk. A PPS is expected to be “to the point” in its description of
an expectation. A PPS may be accompanied by a guide which speaks to specific questions in practice.
Building Strong Policy
All standards and policies undergo extensive consultation prior to final approval. Members of the profession,
stakeholders and the public are invited to share their thoughts on proposed policy changes. Council reviews
all opinions it receives to make informed decisions and, to promote transparency, publishes a summary of the
submissions received.
Policy initiatives in 2015 include:
• Publishing refreshed official documents and guidance in the following areas:
99 Medical Records Professional Practice Standard and Guide
99 Informed Client Consent Professional Practice Standard and Guide
99 Steering Policy Statement
99 Rabies Standard and Legislative Review
99 Satellite Facility Policy Statement
99 Animal Welfare Position Statement
99 Radiation Safety Legislative Overview
99 Reporting Animal Abandonment or Neglect Position Statement
99 Veterinary Dentistry Professional Practice Standard
99 Use of Compounded Products in Veterinary Medicine Professional Practice Standard and Guide
99 Management and Disposal of Controlled Drugs Professional Practice Standard and Guide
99 Delegation Professional Practice Standard
99 Telemedicine Professional Practice Standard
• The Accreditation Model Task Force drafted an Accreditation Models Task Force Report
• The Legislative Reform Oversight Advisory Group and the three working groups met numerous times to
review and analyze recommendations for changes to the Veterinarians Act.
• A Prescribing and Dispensing Task Force was created
• Revisions were made to several areas of the Regulation 1093
College of Veterinarians of Ontario
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