Our mendate

To safeguard public protection and ensure excellence in chiropractic practice

The OCQ is one of 46 professional orders in Quebec and is governed by framework legislation, the Professional Code (C.Q.L.R., c. C-26).

Professional orders are governed by a series of laws and regulations, and must fulfill the primary mission with which they are entrusted by the State: to ensure public protection.

Among the means at its disposal, the OCQ ensures excellence in chiropractic practice by supporting the development of its members’ skills.

Although the administration of an order is autonomous, it remains a delegate of the State and is therefore accountable to it. Monitoring the quality of the professional acts of members of the OCQ is intended to prevent or reduce the risk of harm to citizens when they consult professionals whose competence and integrity they are unable to assess.

Our role

• Monitor access to the practice of the profession of chiropractor: evaluate the education and competence of candidates with regard to the practice of the profession.
• Receive and handle public complaints.
• Verify compliance with compulsory continuing education requirements and update, and ensure the development of our members’ knowledge and skills.
• Monitor the illegal practice of chiropractic and the unlawful use of title.
• Monitor the practice of the profession of chiropractor.
• Support the development of professional practices through the dissemination of professional advice, practice guides, standards of practice and guidelines, and ensure compliance with the standards of practice, regulations, and laws in effect.

The services we offer to the public

• Dissemination of communication tools focused on chiropractic, chiropractors’ areas of activity, chiropractors’ responsibilities, and the code of ethics
• Dissemination of communication tools designed to raise awareness of the rights of the public and the recourse at its disposal
• Receipt and management of applications for admission to the practice of the profession
• Receipt and processing of requests for inquiries (complaints)
• Receipt and processing of requests for account conciliation and arbitration
• Verification of a member’s status

Our commitment with regard to quality of service

The OCQ is responsible for informing citizens of the recourse they can seek against the professionals that the OCQ supports and explaining how the Quebec professional system operates.

The OCQ is responsible for:

• Offering you a courteous welcome and listening carefully to your needs
• Providing you with information and support to facilitate your recourse
• Handling your requests with care and diligence, and ensuring that they remain confidential
• Demonstrating thoroughness and transparency in the handling of its affairs
• Ensuring secretarial services Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 4:00 p.m.
• Acknowledging verbally or in writing, within two business days, all requests received by mail, e-mail, or fax
• Acknowledging, within five business days, any requests for inquiries submitted to the office of the syndic and responding within the following 90 days. If the syndic is unable to respond within the prescribed timeframe, he or she must notify the person making the request in writing
• Providing you with relevant, comprehensive, and practical information on the public protection mechanisms specified in the Professional Code, citizens’ rights and recourse, and the practice of the profession of chiropractor
• Showing consideration, respect, empathy, and openness toward you by maintaining constructive dialogue
• Demonstrating thoroughness, professionalism, competence, objectivity, and impartiality

The OCQ favours good communication among its various bodies and citizens to allow people to effectively seek the recourse at their disposal.

Public recourse

Quebec’s professional system provides protection and a guarantee of competence to the public. There are two possible types of recourse, namely:

Disciplinary recourse

Anyone can seek recourse against a chiropractor if he or she feels that the chiropractor was either incompetent or negligent, or failed to fulfill his or her ethical or professional duties.

Recourse regarding professional fees

A person can also seek recourse regarding professional fees, which entails a conciliation and arbitration mechanism involving fee accounts.

If you believe that a chiropractor is guilty of overcharging, you can seek recourse even if you have already settled the account.

Provided that the professional has not already instituted proceedings to recover the account, you can initiate a written procedure (preferably by means of registered or certified mail) with the syndic of the OCQ within 60 days following receipt of your statement of account. The syndic will then try to reach a conciliation agreement between the professional and you. This service is provided free of charge.

Moreover, the conciliation of an account can be requested within 45 days following a decision by the disciplinary council that specifically calls into question the quality or relevance of a billed professional act, unless this account was already subject to conciliation or arbitration.

Professional and confidential handling of your request

Any request for an inquiry, conciliation or arbitration is submitted confidentially to the Office of the Syndic within two days.

Complaints, requests for inquiries, and requests for conciliation and arbitration of accounts are handled with objectivity and impartiality. Standards of service and timelines must be respected, for example:

• If a Syndic has not completed his or her inquiry within 90 days following receipt of the request for an inquiry, once the deadline has expired, he or she must inform the person who requested the inquiry in writing and report on the inquiry developments. As long as the inquiry is ongoing, every 60 days following the expiry of the initial 90-day deadline, a Syndic must inform the person who requested the inquiry in writing and report on the inquiry developments.

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