INTRODUCTION

The Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (RHPA) sets out the framework for regulating the health professions in Ontario. The primary purpose for the regulation of a health profession is to protect the public by ensuring that practitioners meet minimum qualifications and standards of practice. In order to focus on the issue of public protection the RHPA identifies thirteen “controlled acts”. These controlled acts consist of a variety of activities could result in serious harm to the public if performed incorrectly.

The Respiratory Therapy Act, 1991 (RTA) authorizes respiratory therapists to perform some of the controlled acts. The CRTO recognizes that some controlled acts require greater expertise to perform than others and that incorrect performance of some controlled acts places the public at greater risk of harm than the performance of others. In order to provide the public with adequate protection with respect to the performance of the most serious of the controlled acts that may be performed by respiratory therapists, the CRTO requires that Members performing these controlled acts undergo a certification program.

This guideline is intended to provide direction to Members wishing to perform advanced procedures below the dermis and to individuals developing required certification programs to ensure that minimum requirements are met.