Regulatory college

A regulatory college is the statutory regulator of a profession. A buyer of a clinic or similar practice meets it because the people providing regulated services may need to be registered with it, and the college may have its own requirements when a practice changes hands.

What the law says

Under Ontario’s Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991, a College’s object includes regulating the practice of the profession and governing its members in accordance with the profession’s Act, the Code, the RHPA, and the regulations and by-laws. Alberta’s Health Professions Act defines a college as the college of a regulated profession, and section 3 requires it to govern its regulated members in a manner that protects and serves the public interest. Each province has its own statutes and colleges, so a rule from one does not carry over to another.

What to check or ask

• Whether the college must approve the new owner or the ownership structure.
• Whether the buyer and each practitioner is registered in that province.
• What the college expects for patient or client records if a practice closes or moves.

See whether you need your regulatory college’s approval to sell a practice and the related idea of scope of practice.