Physiotherapist: Restricted Titles
Now that you’re registered, you can officially use the titles:
- Physical Therapist
- Physiotherapist
- PT
You can now use any of these designations after your name. For example: Fiona Campbell, PT
These three titles are protected by law and can only be used by individuals who are registered with the College.
Your Registration Number
You now have a unique registration number. This is like your fingerprint as a PT and a way for the College and other partners like insurance companies to identify you.
Important: Use your registration number appropriately. Don’t share your registration number or let someone else use it for billing purposes. Only let your employer have access.
Misuse of your registration number may have consequences including disciplinary action and being de-listed by insurance companies.
The Public Register/Find a Physiotherapist
The Public Register is an online directory of all registered physiotherapists in Ontario.
It’s an important tool that anyone can use to find a physiotherapist or search for publicly available information about their PT including registration status, place of employment and professional conduct history.
To help protect your registration number, it’s partially hidden on the Public Register to prevent anyone else from using it. For example: Registration number XXX50.
You will not receive a hard or electronic copy of your certificate of registration, but you can direct any current or potential employers to the Public Register. It provides your most current professional information and confirms that you are registered in Ontario.
Why not check out your own profile? Go to the Public Register, type in your name and see what comes up!
A MUST READ:
Starting a New Job Checklist
All of the professional obligations you should consider before signing an employment contract
Resources
Additional resources are available to help you practice and bring the regulations and standards to life. The College has many checklists, e-learning modules, webinars and learning tools available.
Topics include:
- Consent
- Privacy
- Essential Competencies for Physiotherapists
- Code of Ethical Conduct
- CPO: Documentation and Privacy E-Learning Module
- Opening a Practice Checklist
- Leaving a Practice Checklist
- Business Practices Webinar
- Professional Boundaries Webinar
- CPO Patient Centred Communication E-Learning Module
- Transitioning to Practice in Ontario Learning Modules
- Artificial Intelligence — Principles for Physiotherapists
Be sure to review the standards, rules and resources carefully before you start practicing.
Regulations
Regulations are laws published under the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA) and the Physiotherapy Act. These are set by the provincial government, not the College. Regulations address aspects of practice that have the greatest potential to result in harm to the public.
Protecting Patients Act (Bill 87)
The Protecting Patients Act (Bill 87) was passed by the Ontario government on May 30, 2017, making a variety of changes to the regulation of health professions, primarily related to protecting patients from sexual abuse. There is now a zero-tolerance approach. If a registrant is found guilty of sexual abuse, the College is required, by law, to take away their licence.
Note that spouses are not exempt from sexual abuse and under no circumstances are PTs allowed to date their patients.
The PT Portal
Visit to make changes to your employment or personal information, roster for any higher risk activities (controlled acts) that you plan to perform and complete annual renewal.
How to Log In:
- Visit collegept.org
- Click the ‘PT Portal’ button on the homepage
- Log in with the username and password you set during the registration process.
You should already have a profile set up.
Through the PT Portal you can also download or print your annual renewal receipt using the “My Receipts” button on the left side menu.
Annual renewal runs each year from February 1 to March 31.
Annual Renewal and Fees
To practice as a PT in Ontario you must be registered with the College and you need to renew your registration each year. Reminders are sent by email so make sure your contact information is up-to-date.
The annual renewal process is done online in the PT Portal. You will verify or update your employment and personal information, answer questions to confirm you meet registration requirements and pay your annual registration fee of $648.
Practice Hours
During annual renewal, you’ll be asked to declare your practice hours for the previous calendar year. It’s a requirement for all physiotherapists to have at least 1,200 practice hours over the previous five-year period. The College will contact you after annual renewal if you do not meet this requirement.
Practice hours may include hours worked that you’ve been paid for, ongoing learning, or volunteer activities that require physiotherapy knowledge and theory.
You don’t need to have the official title of physiotherapist, physical therapist or PT to claim practice hours.
Watch our video on rostering
Play VideoControlled Acts and Rostering
If you have the appropriate training and experience you can roster to perform these activities by signing a declaration in the PT Portal.
Controlled acts include:
- Tracheal suctioning
- Spinal manipulation
- Acupuncture (including dry needling)
- Treating a wound below the dermis
- Pelvic internal exams (this includes putting an instrument, hand or finger, beyond the labia majora, or beyond the anal verge)
- Administering a substance by inhalation
Changes to Your Information
Switching jobs? Moving? Changing your phone number?
You must inform the College of any updates to your information within 30 days of the change. This could include things like changes to personal or employment information.
Changes can be made using the PT Portal and must be made throughout the year, not only during annual renewal.
Some changes (like a name change) need to be made by College staff so please contact the Registration team at registration@collegept.org or 1-800-583-5885 ext. 222
Professional Issues Self Assessment (PISA)
PISA (Professional Issues Self Assessment) is a short, multiple choice, online exercise that must be completed annually by all physiotherapists. It happens every year from February 1 to March 31 so you can complete it while you’re doing your annual renewal.
PISA is an opportunity for you to assess your awareness of practice issues, reflect on practice-related questions and review resources and standards. There is no pass or fail, you just need to complete it before the deadline.
Jurisprudence
Jurisprudence Module is an online, 50-question multiple choice exercise that tests your understanding and application of practice standards, legislation and rules related to practice in Ontario. You have two attempts to successfully complete the module.
You must complete the Jurisprudence Module within the first year of registering for an Independent Practice Certificate. After that, all PTs are required to complete it on a five-year rotation. You will get an email from us when you need to complete it.
Liability Insurance
If you provide patient care, you must have professional liability insurance. You must provide confirmation of insurance at annual renewal or within 30 days if requested by the College. You can update your liability insurance at any time in the PT Portal.
Please check with your employer to see if their clinic or hospital has insurance coverage, and whether that coverage protects you. If not, it’s your responsibility to arrange your own. You must also ensure that your insurance is renewed before it expires.
To register with the College, you need:
- A minimum coverage of $5 million for the annual policy period
- A liability limit of at least $5 million per incident
- No additional terms, conditions or exclusions, other than standard
- No deductible
- Tail insurance for a minimum of 10 years
Remember:
If you work in multiple practice environments (at many clinics and hospitals), don’t assume your insurance at one location covers you for the others. You may have to arrange coverage for each location, either separately or jointly.
Screening Interviews & Assessments
Conducting screening interviews and assessments as part of the Quality Assurance program is one of the ways the College serves the public interest by supporting physiotherapists in the delivery of safe, high-quality care.
Most physiotherapists selected to participate in the quality assurance process will only complete the screening interview. However, a small number of physiotherapists will be asked to complete a second, more comprehensive assessment, depending on the results of their screening interview.
Continuing Professional Development
It’s your responsibility to participate in continuing professional development which includes evidence of ongoing learning and improvement, note of critical instances, self-assessments and peer feedback. Ongoing learning can include attending courses or lectures, participating in peer discussion groups or reading physiotherapy-related journals. You need to keep a written record of what you have done.
Questions about assessments or continuing professional development?
Contact: qualityassurance@collegept.org or 1-800-583-5885 ext. 212.
Mandatory Reporting
Under the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA), regulated health professionals (like physiotherapists) and those who work with or employ them have legal and ethical obligations to make reports to the College, other colleges and agencies as required.
Some common types of mandatory reports include sexual abuse, incapacity and incompetence, charges and bail restrictions, and privacy breaches. Remember, the law says you must report. Not reporting could impact your career. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Examples of Charges or Offences:
Distracted driving, driving under the influence, disturbances of the peace, traffic violations, theft, assault or fraud.
Self-Reporting
Ontario physiotherapists are legally required to make self-reports to the College in a timely way if they:
- Have been charged with OR have been found guilty of any offence in any jurisdiction (this includes anywhere in Canada or elsewhere in the world)
- Have bail conditions
- Have a finding of professional misconduct, incompetence or incapacity related to any regulated profession in any jurisdiction
- Are the subject of a current investigation for professional misconduct, incompetence, or incapacity related to any regulated profession in any jurisdiction
Watch the video above to learn more
Play VideoAbout the College
What is Self-Regulation?
Self-regulation is a privilege given to professions that have shown they can put the interests of the public first. While we do set some of the rules that physiotherapists must follow, some rules are laid out in provincial legislation and we are ultimately accountable to the government.
For example, the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (RHPA) gives the College its mandate to regulate the practice of physiotherapists in Ontario, while the Physiotherapy Act, 1991 provides the framework for things like scope of practice and professional misconduct. Everything that the College does must support the provincial legislation.
A Little More About Us
The College of Physiotherapists of Ontario is one of 26 health regulatory organizations established by the provincial government to ensure the public receives safe, competent and ethical care. Our sole purpose is protecting the public by overseeing the practice of physiotherapists.
We protect the public by:
- Setting the requirements for entry into the profession
- Establishing standards of practice that PTs must follow
- Monitoring practice and promoting continuing competency
- Investigating complaints and concerns about PTs from patients, caregivers or others
- Protecting the integrity of the profession with a zero-tolerance approach to inappropriate business practices
College Board
The College is governed by the Board of Directors which includes:
- PTs elected by registrants of the College (like you!)
- Public Directors appointed by the provincial government
- Academic Directors appointed by the physiotherapy programs at five Ontario universities
(University of Toronto, Queen’s, Western, McMaster and the University of Ottawa)
Staff fulfills the day-to-day duties of the College, under the leadership of the Registrar & CEO. Board meetings are open to the public and are livestreamed on the College’s YouTube channel, so you — and anyone else — are welcome to observe virtually. Upcoming meeting dates and Board materials are posted on the College’s website.
Complaints Process
A key responsibility of the College is to consider concerns and complaints about physiotherapists and their practice.
Patients, caregivers, other PTs and employers can all submit complaints. In protecting the public interest, the College must give serious consideration to each complaint, while ensuring a fair and just process.
Questions about investigations and complaints?
Feel free to contact: investigations@collegept.org
or 1-800-583-5885 ext. 227
Interested in Getting Involved?
The work of the College is possible because of the dedication of our registrants. In the future you may be interested in running for the Board or serving on a Committee. We also regularly hold consultations when developing new standards and policies and physiotherapists, members of the public, and other partners are invited to share their feedback.
College News
Perspectives E-Newsletter
Once a month we send out an e-newsletter called Perspectives that includes information about standards and College programs, reminders for important deadlines, helpful resources, and more. Be sure to give it a read!
Case of the Month
Every month we publish a short story called Case of the Month about a real situation where a PT may or may not have followed the rules, and the outcome of that situation.
It’s a great read! The cases are sometimes shocking, always interesting and a good cautionary tale for you as you begin practice.
College Blog
Read the College Blog and share your feedback. Stay up to date on physiotherapy practice issues and important regulatory changes.
Email Communication
Important information will be shared by email so please make sure your information is up to date and you read everything from the College.
Stay Connected
Bookmark the College website
Keep in Touch! Contact the College
We are committed to ensuring people of all abilities have equal access to services and are treated with respect. If you require accommodations, we will do our best to meet your needs.
| Contact | Phone number | |
|---|---|---|
| General Inquiries | 416-591-3828 ext. 227 1-800-583-5885 ext. 227 | info@collegept.org |
| New Applications and Registration | 1-800-583-5885 ext. 222 | registration@collegept.org |
| Practice Advice | 1-800-583-5885 ext. 241 | advice@collegept.org |
| Assessments & Continuing Professional Development | 1-800-583-5885 ext. 212 | qualityassurance@collegept.org |
| Pour l’information en français | 1-800-583-5885 ext. 291 | communications@collegept.org |
| Website, Perspectives e-newsletter, Social Media Suggestions or Accessible Formats | 1-800-583-5885 ext. 291 | communications@collegept.org |
| Self Report or Mandatory Report Questions or Submissions | 1-800-583-5885 ext. 227 | investigations@collegept.org |
