1. To comply with the intent of any and all regulations or directives pertaining to the practice of laboratory medicine as may be prescribed from time to time by the Ontario Ministry of Health & Long Term Care.
   
   
2. To comply with the intent of the Laboratory and Specimen Collection Centre Licensing Act.
   
   
3. To ensure that no practitioner receives a direct or indirect financial benefit for referring work to the laboratory or laboratories owned and operated by the member. In the event the practitioner has an ownership interest in a laboratory to which work is referred, this ownership interest is to be disclosed to the patient.
   
   
4. To make every effort to maintain the quality of laboratory services by establishing and following an acceptable method of quality control.
   
   
5. To make every attempt to inform referring practitioners of the current and rational use of laboratory services.

Operating Principles and Guidelines

Members of the Ontario Association of Medical Laboratories agree to conduct their laboratory businesses in accordance with the principles and guidelines below:

Guiding Principles

1. It is a conflict of interest for a laboratory licensee or operator to convey any benefit, directly or indirectly, on a practitioner from whom the laboratory receives patients or specimens.
   
   
2. It is a conflict of interest for a practitioner to receive any benefit, directly or indirectly, from a supplier to whom the practitioner refers patients or specimens.
   
   
3. No arrangement shall be entered into which may result in the ordering of unnecessary diagnostic procedures.

Guidelines

1. Each member shall maintain a laboratory service that is administered in accordance with the highest ethical and professional standards.
   
   
2. Each member shall comply with all applicable legislation and regulations pertaining to the practice of laboratory medicine and operation of diagnostic laboratory facilities.
   
   
3. No member shall enter into any arrangements with practitioners from whom the member receives patients or specimens where the impact of such arrangements is the ordering of diagnostic procedures that are medically unnecessary.
   
   
4. Each member shall establish and follow systems of quality control that ensure the quality of laboratory services meets or exceeds the standards set by the Quality Management Program - Laboratory Services.
   
   
5. Each member shall participate in Board-approved programs.
   
   
6. It is a conflict of interest for any member to give any benefit, directly or indirectly to a practitioner or a person from whom the member receives referrals or specimens, or to a practitioner whose patients the member in any way provides with laboratory services.