Maritime Society of Homeopaths

Find out what Homeopathy can do for you. Serving Canada's Maritime Provinces - New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island

Code of Ethics & Standards of Practice

Code of Ethics

The Maritime Society of Homeopaths (MSH) sets a standard of ethics and practice for homeopaths within the Maritime provinces – Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

MSH members:

  • Provide client-centered care within the scope of their training and competence, maintains standards of professional competence and ethics within the scope and standards of practice of MSH.
  • Do not further their own physical, psychological, emotional, financial, political, or business interests. If such conflicts arise, the Homeopath shall disclose it to the client.
  • Keep confidential and private all information received except when reporting is required by law.
  • Conduct themselves in a manner that brings honour to the profession.
  • Have as the first consideration, the well-being of clients and act in their best interests.
  • Demonstrate respect for the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of clients.
  • Demonstrate sensitivity to and respects each client’s rights, autonomy, dignity and uniqueness.
  • In the case of emergency, provide care or refer the client to the most appropriate healthcare provider.
  • Clearly informs and educates clients as to the role, function, standards and philosophy of homeopathic practice.
  • Respect client’s right to informed consent, to request opinions from other homeopaths regarding a treatment plan.
  • Acknowledge client rights to consult with other health professionals or integrate other therapeutic modalities in combination with homeopathic treatment.
  • Ensure that their conduct is above reproach.
  • Do not practice when impaired or ill.
  • Provide/post a set schedule of service fees consistently for all clients.
  • Speak professionally of fellow practitioners and their services.
  • Work collaboratively with health practitioners to focus on the best interests of the client.
  • Demonstrate respect for the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of colleagues, associates, employees and clients.
  • Claim only qualifications possessed.
  • Accurately represents the nature of homeopathy.
  • Uphold the principle of informed consent, including the client’s right to choose from a range of options.
  • Report to MSH and local authorities where there is reason to believe incompetence, misconduct, incapacity, sub-standard and/or unethical behaviour, or sexual abuse of a client by an MSH Member or any health professional.
  • Maintain professional competency through ongoing self-assessment, intra- professional collaboration and professional development.
  • Maintain the Standards of Practice and conduct themself in a professional, competent and ethical manner.
  • Are compliant with the Human Rights Legislation of their province(s).
  • Work within the scope of Homeopathic Practice unless additional qualifications/training has been undertaken.

Standards of Practice

Purpose: This standard is to provide guidelines to MSH members on the standard of practice.

Standards

  • MSH Members must abide by the Human Rights act of their own province.
  • Every homeopath has a unique scope of practice, which is determined by the homeopath’s clinical competence, the clients the homeopath cares for, the treatments provided and the practice environment.
  • A homeopath’s ability to perform competently in their scope of practice is determined by the homeopath’s knowledge, skills and judgment, which are developed through training and professional practice.
  • This standard provides guidance to MSH members about accepting new clients into a homeopathic practice.
  • While homeopaths should ethically accept or refuse new clients on a first-come, first-served basis, clinical competence and scope of practice are permissible grounds for prioritizing or limiting patient entry into a practice.
    • In such situations it is necessary to inform the clients of the reason for not treating them. Decisions to accept or refuse new clients must be made in good faith. Clinical competence and scope of practice must not be used as a means of unfairly refusing patients or turning away clients who are perceived to be otherwise “difficult.”
  • Notwithstanding the above, it is appropriate for clients in need to receive priority access to care. Determination of need may be based on assessment by an individual homeopath. When determining the priority of need for the purpose of accepting new clients, each homeopath is expected to act in good faith.
  • A modality not taught in a homeopathic educational institution it is not considered homeopathy, and may not be performed or billed as homeopathy. It must be clear to the client which modality is being performed. The alternate modality must be in the individual practitioner’s training / scope of practice, or that of the employer overseeing the activity.

Compounding

  • Compounding is a process of mixing or preparing health products to an exact specification tailored to a patient’s needs.
  • A license is not required to compound or sell the product.
  • Responsibility for the safety, efficacy and quality of the compounded product is assumed by the health care practitioner.
  • The practice of compounding is excluded from the scope of NHP Regulations through the manufacturer definition.

Advertising

  • A MSH Member shall not target advertising to an individual or use communication techniques that can pressure potentially vulnerable persons.
  • A MSH Member may not, without prior consent, contact a member of the public in person, by telephone, in writing, through electronic communication or by similar means to invite them to use their services.
  • A Member may advertise to the general public; remind a client of an upcoming appointment/service; periodically contact current or former clients for goodwill purposes.
  • Advertisements may not:
    • Be false or misleading, promote an unnecessary service, make or suggest promises or guarantees, make unverifiable claims, make statements of cure, include endorsements of products or brand, state or suggest endorsement of the Homeopath by an individual or organization, be undignified or in poor taste, contain before / after pictures, appeal to a person’s fears, be libellous or slanderous.

Discontinuing Professional Services/Refusing Treatment

An MSH Member may refuse or discontinue treatment if:

  • The required treatment is beyond their competence
  • There is a conflict of interest
    • Conflict of Interest within a clinical practice setting occurs when reasonable person would conclude that the personal interests of the MSH Member would, might, or may be perceived to, improperly influence their professional judgment or conflict with their duty to act in the best interests of the client.
  • There is a romantic interest on the part or one or both parties
  • The client abuses the therapeutic relationship
    • Client abuse of the therapeutic relationship may include, but is not limited to: not complying with treatment protocol, repeatedly misses appointments or is chronically late, failing to pay.

Fees

It is essential that the fees charged to clients are reasonable, accurate, and transparently communicated to ensure that clients can make an informed choice about the financial aspects of their care. It is acceptable to profit from ones’ knowledge, education and experience, and professional judgment regarding the ethical application of fees and billing.

Fees and Billing

  • Fee schedule(s) shall be established, posted and/or documented outlining all fees
  • Clients shall be informed of the fees to be charged for homeopathic services and consent obtained prior to treatment.
  • A receipt shall be given for all payments.
  • Receipts will clearly and legibly record:
    • Name of treating homeopath, clinic name, address, telephone number; name of the patient who received the service and address; date of service; services billed; payments received; balance owing; HST registration number, if HST charged.
  • If a replacement receipt is issued it is clearly identified as a “COPY” or “DUPLICATE”. Receipts will be clearly itemized.
  • Fees for homeopathic consultation are separated from all other fees.
  • Fees for medicine, supplements, etc., are individually listed, either on the same or another receipt.
  • Any variance from the fee schedule will be only to reduce fees, such as in circumstances of hardship.
  • Bartering only in accordance with the Canada Revenue Agency guidelines.

Informed Consent

Consent can be expressed (written or verbal) or implied. Either way, the client chart is documented to indicate that consent was obtained.

  • Consent need not be obtained individually for each procedure.
  • The consent shall not be obtained through misrepresentation or fraud.
  • Confirming consent in writing is useful. However, a signed consent form without dialogue is not informed consent. Signing a consent form following discussion reinforces in the mind of the client the seriousness of the decision and provides evidence of the consent process should there be a question later.

Leaving Practice

  • Notify employer
  • Notify patients
  • Plan of succession for files

Duty to Report Abuse

  • Report to MSH and local authorities where there is reason to believe incompetence, misconduct, incapacity, sub-standard and/or unethical behavior, or sexual abuse of a client by an MSH Member or any health professional.
  • Members have a duty to report concerns of abuse or neglect of a child under the age of 19 in order to ensure children are protected from harm.
  • Members may not perform the following acts unless further qualified:
    • Diagnosing a disease or disorder as the cause of symptoms.
    • Performing a procedure below the dermis, mucous membrane, cornea, teeth, gums, including scaling of teeth.
    • Setting or casting a fracture of a bone or a dislocation of a joint.
    • Moving the joints of the spine beyond the individual’s usual physiological range of motion using a fast, low amplitude thrust.
    • Administering a substance by injection or inhalation of a vapour.
    • Putting an instrument, hand or finger, beyond the external ear canal, the point in the nasal passages where they normally narrow, the larynx, urethral opening, the labia majora, the anal verge, or into an artificial opening into the body.
    • Prescribing, dispensing, selling or compounding a pharmaceutical
    • Managing labour and or delivery of a baby.
    • Allergy challenge testing of a kind in which a positive result of the test is a significant allergic response.
    • Psychotherapy, dentistry, prescribe hearing aids, vision correction appliances other than simple magnifiers.

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