Prepare for your Inspection
Before your inspection
Inspection checklists specific to the Essential Standards and Additional Scope of Practice Services that reflect the services you provide are available for review. Using the checklists is helpful for conducting a mock inspection prior to the College’s inspection. The checklists list all the requirements for each standard. As you review each requirement, make notes in the space provided to explain or describe how your facility is in compliance with each requirement.
What to expect on inspection day and afterwards
During the inspection, your inspector assesses the facility for compliance with the standards, recognizes what your practice does well, and may offer suggestions on opportunities for improvement if applicable.
The inspection will take approximately 2.5 hours to complete. You do not need to close your practice, change appointments, or operate your facility any differently.
During the inspection, the Facility Director will accompany the inspector during the on-site visit, answer questions, and be the main contact person. Other members of your team involved in accreditation may attend as well. And at the end of the inspection, the Facility Director and inspector will discuss the outcome of the visit. You do not need to pull medical records before the inspection. Your inspector will decide on the day of your inspection what cases and medical records they will need to review. This may include surgical, dental, inpatient, etc. They will likely request medical records from each veterinarian.
If your inspection notes full compliance with the standards, the Certificate of Accreditation will be issued for a five-year term and mailed to you. If there are standards that are not met, you will receive an inspection report and be provided with 30 days from the date of the inspection to provide evidence of compliance with the requirement(s).
Here to assist you
We understand that having your facility inspected and accredited is important and we want to support you with clear information about our processes in accordance with our Service Commitment. Please email us at accreditation@cvo.org with any questions.
Helpful Tips
In the Minimum Standards for Veterinary Facilities in Ontario, there is a requirement for a hospital to have a gas scavenging system contained in the anesthesia area which complies with the requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). This standard is in the spirit of adhering to the main purpose of OHSA which is to protect workers from health and safety hazards on the job.
Waste anesthetic gases (WAG) are anesthetic vapours, that leak into the surrounding environment and can result in worker exposure. The sources of WAG are leaks from anesthetic equipment, improper installation of scavenging systems, leaks from patient’s masks and exhalation of gases by patients. Short term exposure to WAG can cause fatigue, drowsiness and headache. Anesthetic gases cannot be detected by odour until their concentrations are much higher than occupational exposure limits. Therefore, the proper maintenance of the gas scavenging system plays a valuable role in protecting you and your veterinary team members.
To assist facility directors in complying with this requirement, the Accreditation Committee of the College has clarified that at inspection, the facility director is expected to provide documentation to an accreditation inspector that the gas scavenging system has been inspected and verified by a qualified technician from an independent third-party company within the previous 24 months or within the timeframe recommended by the manufacturer.
The Accreditation Inspectors will continue to also inspect:
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hose connections for obstructions or kinks.
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tubing connected to the exterior of the building for vent coverage.
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local exhaust or room ventilation to ensure that it is functional.
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charcoal filters to determine if they are checked and/or replaced on a regular basis by veterinary facility staff.
It is a reasonable expectation for facility directors to ensure the safety of hospital staff, clients and patients based on the hazards that exist in the hospital. Effective scavenging of waste anesthetic gas is a crucial method of decreasing exposure in the veterinary practice.
The Accreditation Standards for Veterinary Facilities in Ontario require veterinary facilities to keep an anesthetic log, either alone or in combination with a surgical log. There is also a requirement to keep an anesthetic monitoring chart. Most of the information that is documented in the anesthetic monitoring chart is duplicated in the anesthetic/surgical logs. To address efficiency in record keeping and reduce duplication of information an alternative method to meet the anesthetic/surgical log requirements was considered.
Now, veterinary facilities can maintain the anesthetic/surgical log by compiling patient anesthetic monitoring charts in chronological order. This can be paper copies of the anesthetic monitoring charts in a binder, scanned copies in an electronic file, or electronic copies in a file that can easily be accessed and printed. A copy of the anesthetic monitoring chart should also be kept in the patient’s individual medical record. By doing this, the veterinary facility will not need to also keep a separate anesthetic/surgical log.
Sample documents
The College prepares sample documents and protocols for various species groups which demonstrate best practices and are based on the College's regulations. These documents are intended as samples which provide veterinarians with forms that they may choose to consider or adapt as part of their practice. Sample templates for documents such as invoices (fees for drugs and services), radiology and surgery anesthetic logs are available for your reference.
Controlled Drug Management
Every veterinarian has the right to prescribe and dispense controlled drugs. This privilege comes with responsibilities, inclusive of mitigating the risk of inappropriate or illegal access to controlled drugs. Veterinary rules related to the management of controlled drugs, including disposal, have always been rigorous.
The College provides several tools regarding the security, storage and disposal of controlled drugs, how to maintain a controlled drug log, performing a controlled drug audit and legislative requirements.
