Disciplinary orders
What is a disciplinary order?
A disciplinary order is an order made against a licensee to resolve an administrative matter, regulatory complaint or citation.
Types of disciplinary orders
There are different types of disciplinary orders that may result in a range of outcomes for licensees:
- the suspension or revocation of a licence
- limits and conditions imposed on a licensee’s practice (e.g. gender-based restrictions)
- reprimands
- undertakings
- orders for restorative practice
- monetary penalties
- any other action to remedy a breach of contravention (e.g. anti-discrimination measures, education/training, or assessment of competency)
A disciplinary order can be made by the CPSBC registrar, the Investigation Committee, or the director of discipline.
How do I know if a licensee has disciplinary orders?
Certain types of disciplinary orders are published on a licensee's public profile in the directory:
- citations from the director of discipline
- summary protection orders
- orders for monetary penalties
A licensee’s consent is generally required to issue a disciplinary order, with some exceptions. CPSBC must publish an order once consent is provided. Generally, matters closed by a registrar review or the Investigation Committee resulting in a warning or advice will not be published.
Key terms and definitions
Administrative matters refers to concerns such as:
- a breach of an undertaking
- a failure to meet duties to CPSBC
- a failure to comply with a disciplinary order
A duty to CPSBC includes but are not limited to:
- cooperating with CPSBC and responding to CPSBC in a timely manner
- providing criminal record authorization
- providing a certificate of professional conduct
A registrar review is handled by CPSBC staff and the registrar.
This applies to complaints that are low-to-medium risk to the public.
They are:
- managed through the registrar review process
- investigated by CPSBC staff
- disposed of by the registrar
An Investigation Committee assessment is a formal review handled directly by the Investigation Committee.
This applies to complaints that involve:
- sexual misconduct
- sexual abuse
- discrimination
- a high risk to the public (these are automatically referred to the committee)
A skilled investigator is assigned to manage each of these cases.
An undertaking is a a formal commitment from the licensee to not repeat the conduct that is the subject of a complaint or administrative matter.
A monetary penalty means a licensee is required to pay money as part of their discipline.
This can include repaying:
- the costs of running a formal hearing
- the costs of investigating the complaint
- the costs covered by CPSBC's support programs
An order for restorative practice directs a licensee to participate in a process that reflects or is influenced by Indigenous practices.
This can include:
- a learning circle
- following with prescribed principles
- engaging in meditation
- taking another type of action that is appropriate to resolve a matter
A summary protection order is a disciplinary order that restricts a licensee's ability to practice.
It can either:
- suspend their licence (not allowed to practice at all), or
- add limits and conditions to their licence (can still practice but with restrictions)
The director of discipline leads an independent tribunal that oversees the discipline process for regulated health professions in BC.
Their role is to ensure the process is fair, effective and in the public interest.
The director of discipline determines what, if any, outcomes of a disciplinary process are published on the CPSBC website.
A citation is a public document issued by the director of discipline. It lists charges made against a regulated health professional and communicates the intent to proceed with a disciplinary hearing.
The Investigation Committee may direct the registrar to seek a citation from the director of discipline. Requests for citations are published on the CPSBC website.