Cosmetic Procedures: Improving Patient Safety
July 2013 Update
The Cosmetic Procedures Initiative was developed to improve the regulatory oversight of physicians practising cosmetic and other invasive procedures.
At its April 2007 meeting, Council announced the implementation of a four-point plan to ensure the safety of the Ontario public in relation to the provision of cosmetic procedures.
This initiative was in response to the significant increase in demand for cosmetic procedures, and the growing number of physicians and other health-care professionals providing a wide variety of services to patients in many different settings.
Council determined that the College required additional information about this growing area of practice, including the training that physicians undergo to perform cosmetic procedures, and the type and number of cosmetic procedures being performed by physicians and other health-care professionals.
Actions taken by the College to improve patient safety with respect to cosmetic procedures
Out of-Hospital Premises Inspection Program
The Ontario government granted the College the authority to create the program in 2010 to address a gap in the oversight of premises that perform cosmetic surgery, colonoscopies, interventional pain procedures and cataract surgeries in clinical settings that are outside of hospitals. College inspections ensure that facilities are properly equipped and staffed. The College strongly advocated for this inspection program to enhance patient safety through improved quality standards.
On Jan. 31, 2013, Council unanimously passed a by-law that allows the results of out-of-hospital premises inspections to be made public by posting them on the CPSO website. Posting premises inspection results makes the College’s out-of-hospital inspection program one of the most transparent of its kind in Canada.
By having access to the most current and relevant information as of January 31 and going forward on the outcome of an inspection including the reasons for it, the public is able to make informed decisions about their health care.
If a premises fails the inspection, physicians must cease practising those procedures so the potential risk to the public is removed.
Meeting the Objectives
For information about the College's Cosmetic Procedures Initiative, see Timeline.
