Ordre des chiropraticiens du Québec

What is illegal practice?

Illegal practice can manifest in any of the following ways:

  • Aperson uses a title reserved for professionals, without authorization.
  • A person:
    • carries out activities reserved for members of a professional order, without authorization;
    • claims to have the right to do so or acts in a way that leads to the belief that he or she is authorized.

Unlawful use of title

The Professional Code reserves the title of chiropractor for members of the Ordre des chiropraticiens du Québec (OCQ). Anyone else who uses this title is subject to prosecution for unlawful use of a title. The post-nominal initials for chiropractors or doctors of chiropractic are “D.C.”.

The Professional Code specifies the following with regard to the title of chiropractor:

No person shall claim in any manner to be a . . . chiropractor . . . or use one of the above titles or any other title or abbreviation which may lead to the belief that he is one, or initials which may lead to the belief that he is one, or engage in a professional activity reserved to the members of a professional order, claim to have the right to do so or act in such a way as to lead to the belief that he is authorized to do so, unless he holds a valid, appropriate permit and is entered on the roll of the order empowered to issue the permit, unless it is allowed by law (s. 32 of the Professional Code).<span class="su-quote-cite">art. 32 du Code des professions</span>

It is not necessary to use a title to break the law. A person simply has to act in a way that leads to the belief that he or she is authorized to practise chiropractic.

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