The Case

You may remember a case of month from December 2019 called The Truth Always Comes Out. Welcome to part two.

As detailed in part one, the College received an application for an Independent Practice Certification of Registration from an individual who received their physiotherapy education in Australia.

The applicant indicated that they did not have a history of professional conduct in any other jurisdiction, a medical condition that could impact their ability to practice physiotherapy, or that they had been found guilty of any offences or criminal charges.

However, the College received a letter from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.

The letter stated that the applicant had previously been charged, and pled guilty, to four drug-related offences in Australia, and failed to comply with a mandatory health assessment to determine if a condition (such as drug dependency) would impact their ability to practice physiotherapy safely.

Their Independent Practice Certificate of Registration application was denied, and the applicant was told they could re-apply after successfully completing the Physiotherapy Competency Exam (PCE).

A few months later, the applicant re-applied for registration and provided confirmation that they passed the PCE. They also indicated that they were enrolled in an ethics course, had reviewed several resources on the College website related to ethics and professionalism, and submitted a self-reflection essay and references.

The Rules

The College protects the public by ensuring all physiotherapists in Ontario provide safe, competent and ethical care. When registering new physiotherapists, the College considers their education and their history of professional conduct to make sure there is enough evidence to support that they will be able to practice physiotherapy ethically and lawfully.

If the College is not satisfied that the information in an application clearly details an applicant’s physiotherapy knowledge and/or ability to practice ethically and lawfully, it can request that the applicant take additional steps to highlight their abilities. This may include taking the PCE, completing an ethics course or providing additional documentation.

The College may also grant a certificate of registration with terms, conditions and limitations to help ensure the applicant provides safe, competent and ethical care.

The Outcome 

After reviewing the updated application, the College requested that the applicant provide proof that they passed the ethics course and complete an independent medical assessment with a regulated health care professional to determine if they had any mental health condition that would impact their ability to safely provide physiotherapy services to the public.

Shortly after, the applicant provided proof of completion for the ethics course and the College received a report from an independent health professional noting no issues.

The College approved the application for an Independent Practice Certificate of Registration with some terms, conditions and limitations, such as meeting with a senior member of the physiotherapy community for practice guidance and support.

Learn more about the College’s application process.