DISPENSING OPTICIANS BOARD BL CODE OF ETHICS
Addition to By-Laws Nov 26, 2023
- General
- Duty to the public
- Duty to clients
- Duty to the profession
- Duty to colleagues
CODE OF ETHICS
General
- To uphold and advance the honour and dignity of the profession and its high standards of ethical conduct, registrants must
- be honest and impartial in serving their clients, the public, and their profession,
- strive to increase the competence and prestige of their profession,
- use their knowledge and skill to improve the health and well-being of their clients and the public, and
- respect the dignity and professional status of, and professional relationships with, their colleagues.
- Every registrant is charged with the duty to uphold the honour and dignity of the profession of Opticianry and to adhere strictly to the principles set forth in this code.
- The profession is given the privilege of self-governance under the Dispensing Opticians Act and, accordingly, registrants must understand the Act, the regulations, and the bylaws and must strictly observe or perform their duties and obligations thereunder.
Duty to the public
- The duty of registrants to the public includes
- educating the public in the promotion of ophthalmic health, but presentations for such purposes must be in accordance with generally accepted professional standards and must not contravene these bylaws with respect to marketing of professional services,
- providing leadership in community activities whose purpose is to improve the health and well-being of the individual and the community,
- publicizing any advance or discovery in any branch of optical science in journals and professional publications, and
- not making any statement or declaration or sign any certificate or any other document, or induce or permit a client to sign any certificate or document which they know or ought to know to be untrue, misleading, or otherwise improper.
Duty to clients
- The duty of registrants to clients includes
- maintaining client confidentiality except as may be necessary to divulge such information in order to protect the welfare of the individual or the community, or as may be required by law, or under the Act or bylaws or in connection with investigations or except to the extent the client has expressly agreed that the registrant may release specific information,
- consulting and providing treatment to any member of the public or, if they are unavailable, to make alternative arrangements,
- maintaining their knowledge of opticianry current, and
- rendering treatment only in accordance with current generally accepted professional standards,
- Registrants may treat clients only when they are qualified by training or experience to carry out the treatment plan. Registrants must always be willing to check their diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis by consultation with fellow practitioners or specialists in the field of opticianry or medicine pertaining to the case under consideration. Registrants should be willing to refer a client when advisable.
- Registrants must protect the health of their clients at all times by not delegating or referring any duty or procedure to a person who is not qualified to perform such duty or procedure by skill and training, or by licensure if required under the Act, the regulations, or bylaws, and by not condoning or being a party to such delegations or referrals. Registrants must ensure that the actions of all personnel within their employ or control comply with the Act, the regulations and the bylaws.
- Registrants must keep adequate records of their clinical findings, diagnosis and treatment with respect to each of their clients. When a registrant who is presently treating a client requests records from another registrant who has formerly treated the client, the registrant must make copies of those records available to the attending registrant only where the client has instructed that the records be transmitted and has given his or her consent for their release.
Duty to the profession
The duty of registrants to the profession includes the duty
- to support the advancement of the profession through local, provincial, and national associations, societies, and
- not to warrant or guarantee the success of care or treatment, but to provide the highest standard of care and accept full responsibility for treatment.
Duty to colleagues
- Registrants should not
- comment or pass judgment on the qualifications of, or procedures rendered by, other registrants unless
- such comment is in the best interests of the client’s health and well-being,
- the registrant has a duty to file a report with the registrar in accordance with Act and
- the registrant has been subpoenaed as a witness and is testifying under oath,
- compete for clients or professional services by methods which would adversely affect the honour, dignity, or credibility of the profession, or
- compare their professional competence to that of other registrants.
- In the event of a consultation request, registrants should render only the treatment which was specifically requested.
