Since becoming aware of production issues at the drug manufacturing facilities of Sandoz Canada Inc., the sole supplier of a large number of the generic injectable drugs used in Ontario, health care providers have been rushing to prepare for possible drug shortages. Hospitals, pharmacies and long-term care facilities have found themselves unprepared for such a crisis. Read More
On June 4, 2012, the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC) released her 2011 annual report which includes the access and privacy statistics for the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MoHLTC), hospitals, health units, Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs), and other health care organizations under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) and the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA). Read More
Many hospitals are receiving requests under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) for contracts that they have entered into with third party vendors. Not surprisingly, third parties tend to be highly protective of their commercial information and may be shocked to learn that their contracts with the hospital are at risk of being disclosed. A recent case involving a regional municipality and a bus service company shows that the Information and Privacy Commissioner/Ontario (IPC) will disclose final contracts, including ones that contain a vendor’s hourly rates and other financial incentives. Read More
Many people through their Wills leave gifts to hospitals, hospital foundations and other charities. However, sometimes these organizations no longer exist when that person dies as they did when the Will was made. For example, when hospital amalgamations occur, the original hospital named in a Will may not be operating in the same way at the time of the person’s death. In these cases, questions arise regarding whether the gift fails. The case of Re Leer[1] is an example of how Courts will deal with these types of situations. Read More