There is perhaps no better sign that Prince Edward Island now has podiatry regulations than the sign on the door of John Johnson’s clinic.

It used to be called Johnson Podiatry. It is now listed as Johnson Footcare, and is described as a “foot specialist”.

The president of the Canadian Podiatric Medical Association is happy to see him.

“This name is protected: podiatrist, podiatrist, podiatric surgeon. So if someone calls themselves a podiatrist, they have to go through the college to register,” said Howard Green, president of the CMPA.

The college he’s talking about is the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Prince Edward Island. Under Prince Edward Island’s new rules, which came into effect Oct. 1, the college is now the regulatory body for podiatry. This means that he is responsible for the selection and registration of anyone wishing to practice the profession of podiatrist.

The key requirement, according to the regulations: “Successful completion of a post-secondary program in podiatry approved by the (college). »

Norman Kew, a semi-retired podiatrist who works five days a month in Prince Edward Island, is relieved to see the rules in place.

“I’m actually grateful to the extent that it removes anyone who isn’t qualified for the position,” he said.

Activities were not regulated

Prince Edward Island is one of the last provinces to adopt podiatry regulations.

The need for rules was highlighted in July, when a CBC News investigation revealed that John Johnson called himself “Dr. John Johnson, DP” and treated hundreds of patients with foot problems, allegedly without even completing their secondary studies.

Johnson has never responded to these allegations or provided proof of his credentials.

Concerns surrounding his practice have led provincial health officials to take a closer look at all podiatrists working on the Island (there are only a few). That highlighted another problem: For years, some were performing medical procedures they weren’t authorized to perform in the province.

Under Prince Edward Island’s Regulated Health Professions Act, activities such as diagnosing disorders, injecting drugs and cutting the skin are prohibited in health professions which are not regulated.

So Kew said that even though he himself was more than qualified to do all these things, a lawyer for the Prince Edward Island government told him this summer that he had to stop until that the regulations come into force and that he enrolls in college.

“It’s led us down the path where I’m not able to provide all of my services to the customers that come through the door. And we’ve had to cancel a lot of procedures that we had going on,” said Kew, who is now studying the situation. registration process.

“Everyone who called, we would say, ‘Sorry, it doesn’t make sense to put you on the list. Once we know there’s legislation in place and we’re registered, you can call us back .”’

Complaint-based enforcement

This is not to say that the college plans to actively enforce podiatry rules through proactive inspections.

“We will approach this issue based on complaints, as we do with doctors,” said George Carruthers, the college’s registrar. “If we were to become aware of podiatric services being offered (by an unregistered person), then we would investigate and act accordingly.”

Although John Johnson removed the word “podiatry” from his clinic’s title, it’s unclear what foot care he now offers.

In late July, his clinic said in an email to CBC News: “At the moment we only do orthotics here. »

CBC News reached out again recently to ask about the status of the clinic and how it was affected by the new regulations, but did not get a response.

I think the college could look into this to ensure that someone saying they practice foot care doesn’t drift into podiatry and provide care they really shouldn’t be doing.— Howard Green, president of the Canadian Association of Podiatric Medicine

At last check this week, a framed certificate still hung on the wall of Johnson’s clinic, visible from the outside. It states that “Dr. John Johnson” has “satisfied all requirements for registration” with the PEI Podiatry Association and is “hereby admitted to full membership in the association with full rights and privileges.”

Johnson’s father, Brian, is listed online as president of this association. The two other practicing podiatrists in Prince Edward Island, one of whom retired this week, were not part of the group.

The elder Johnson never answered questions about the status of the association or how his son became a member.

Calls for a more active application

The Charlottetown Police Service confirmed to CBC News that they have received complaints about Johnson and his clinic and are investigating, although they do not have the authority to shut down his business or change how it operates.

Green, head of the national podiatric medicine group, says the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Prince Edward Island should take a more active role in ensuring the rules are followed and that anyone calling themselves a podiatrist – or actually working as such – is registered.

“On the island, where the population is smaller, the number of practitioners is smaller, I think the college could look into this to ensure that someone who says they practice foot care does not drift into podiatry and not providing care that he really shouldn’t be,” Green said.

Kew agrees.

“There should probably be a more active attitude,” he said. “I mean, let’s take John Johnson as an example. If anyone had looked into his practice before now, we would have known before now that there was a problem.”

To date, the college says no one has signed up to work as a podiatrist on the island.

With the retirement of long-time podiatrist Keith Bettles this week, it appears Kew is the only one remaining trained (albeit unregistered) in the province.

Green hopes the new regulations will encourage another podiatrist to set up shop on P.E.I.

“I think having regulations in place will actually be a positive for someone who wants to come here, hopefully in the near future. They’ll be able to say, ‘Oh, the profession is regulated. Great. I will apply for (‘) a) license, open my practice, and practice as I am trained to do.'”