Employer Responsibilities under the RHPA

In Ontario, the profession of dietetics is regulated. The College of Dietitians of Ontario is the regulatory body established by the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA) to regulate dietitians in the interest of public protection.

Employers of regulated health professionals have legal obligations set out in the Regulated Health Professions Act. It is important for employers to understand the fundamentals of the RHPA that set out provisions on who can do what in the health care system, about mandatory reporting, use of professional titles and other obligations.

It is an offence for employers to aid and abet Registered Dietitians to engage in improper practice, for example:

performing controlled acts when not legally authorized to do so;
misrepresenting or misusing professional titles or status;
using the title "doctor" when dietitians are practicing in a health care environment; or
holding someone out to be qualified to practice dietetics as a Registered Dietitian in Ontario when they are not registered with the College of Dietitians of Ontario.

Verify that your nutrition expert is a dietitian.