Subsection 3: Duties between colleagues and members of other health professions.

Chiropodists must maintain good fraternal relations with each other. They are prohibited from slandering a colleague, casting aspersions on him or her or echoing comments likely to harm him or her. It is good professional conduct to defend a colleague who has been unjustly attacked.

In the event of a professional disagreement with a colleague, the chiropodist must first seek conciliation, if necessary through the regional or inter-regional council of the association.

Misappropriation or attempted misappropriation of customers is prohibited.

In all cases where they are called upon to testify in disciplinary proceedings, chiropodists are, insofar as is compatible with respect for professional secrecy, required to disclose all facts of use to the investigation that come to their knowledge.

The chiropodist may see all patients in his or her practice, even in non-emergency situations, regardless of who their treating chiropodist is. If patients make known their intention to change chiropodists, the latter must provide them with the information necessary to ensure continuity and quality of care.

When a patient calls upon the services of another chiropodist in the absence of the patient’s own chiropodist, the latter may provide the necessary care during the patient’s absence. He must give his colleague, as soon as he returns, and in agreement with the patient, all the information he considers useful.

Consultations between the treating chiropodist and a healthcare professional or another chiropodist are subject to separate fees.

Fees may not be shared between chiropodists and other healthcare professionals. Each practitioner must charge his own personal fees. The distribution of dividends between the members of a partnership does not constitute prohibited fee-splitting. Retrocessions of fees provided for in practice contracts are not considered to be fee sharing.

In their professional relations with other health professionals, chiropodists must respect the independence of those professionals.