Closing a facility – mitigate your risks
Veterinarians often contact the College for guidance about the measures they should take before they close a veterinary facility. The College also receives calls from clients asking how they can obtain their animal’s medical records because their veterinarian has closed their facility without notice to the clients.
Medical records may be vulnerable to abandonment and loss when a facility closes. The risks include potential privacy breaches, disrupting continuity of care, and depriving a client of their right to access their animal’s medical records. Animals with chronic conditions requiring ongoing medication are one example of a vulnerable group of patients whose health may be put at risk if there are delays in access to their medical records.
When closing a practice:
Notify the College at least 30 days in advance of the planned closure of the facility by completing the Notification of Facility Closure Form in the Professional Practice Portal
Sign the undertaking and acknowledgment provided by the College confirming the appropriate steps will be taken to close the facility.
Provide clients with at least 90 days' notice of a planned closure.
Include the following information when notifying clients of the facility closure:
- Date of closure
- How to access or request a copy or transfer of medical records
- Communicating to clients can be done in several ways, such as:
- In writing, a letter by mail or secure email
- By telephone or in person at a scheduled appointment
- Printed notice, posted in the office
- A notice posted on facility’s website or social media sites
- Newspaper advertisement
Ensure clients have continued access to their animal’s medical records. Arrangements can be made with a records management company or with another accredited facility to store securely the medical records and facilitate any copy or transfer requests.
Subsection 22(5) of Regulation 1093 under the Veterinarians Act requires medical records to be retained for five years after the date of the last entry in the record or until two years after the date the member ceases to practice veterinary medicine (i.e. the date they resign their licence with the College).
If the facility has an x-ray machine, the Ministry of Labour, Radiation Protection Services must be notified of the closure of the facility. Contact Information for Radiation Protection Services: 1-888-999-3921 or radiationprotection@ontario.ca.
Ensure all drugs are removed or disposed of in an environmentally safe manner and documented.
- Unopened non-controlled drugs may be returned to the drug wholesaler.
- Controlled drugs must be disposed of in accordance with the College’s Professional Practice Standard – Management and Disposal of Controlled Drugs.
- Drugs may not be transferred to another veterinarian for resale, unless it is to address a temporary shortage experienced by the other veterinarian.
- Expired drugs must be disposed of and may not be donated to an individual or organization, such as a rescue group or shelter.
Animal remains should be returned to clients or arrangements should be made for pickup.
All biomedical and hazardous waste must be removed and disposed of appropriately.
On the date of closure, sign the declaration provided by the College confirming that the appropriate steps have been taken to close the facility and submit it to the College