Canadian Certified Pedorthists Issue Public Safety Warning to Orthotic Patients & Students

…uncertified practitioners posing as Canadian Certified Pedorthists…

WINNIPEG, Oct. 11, 2013 /CNW/ - A Canadian organization operating under multiple names is falsely claiming to train and certify Canadian Certified Pedorthists. The College of Pedorthics of Canada and the Pedorthic Association of Canada urge Canadians to carefully check Pedorthists' qualifications before trusting them with your health.

Orthotic and footwear experts, Canadian Certified Pedorthists, only earn certification through The College of Pedorthics of Canada after rigorous education and training. The College of Pedorthics of Canada is the licensing body for the pedorthic profession in Canada and is a national self-regulatory body whose primary purpose is to protect patients who receive services from Canadian Certified Pedorthists. Canadian Certified Pedorthists are identified by the designation C. Ped (C) and are only permitted to use this designation if they comply with the strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of The College of Pedorthics of Canada and are members of the Pedorthic Association of Canada, a national, non-profit organization whose main mandate is to develop and promote the study, practice and knowledge of Pedorthics in Canada.

An organization operating under the names of "The College of Certified Pedorthists of Ontario", "Canadian College of Pedorthics" and "National Academy of Osteopathy" is making false claims it has been registered by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities and can train and certify pedorthists in Canada.

"We have received questions from pedorthic patients, members and students about the misleading claims of this organization and need to ensure the public understands CCPO & CCP are in no way affiliated with The College of Pedorthics of Canada nor are they recognized by the Ministry," said Geoff Powell, Registrar and Executive Director, The College of Pedorthics of Canada. "Canadian Certified Pedorthists are accountable for upholding the pedorthic profession to the highest patient standards. We institute stringent guidelines to assure public safety but clearly these assurances do not apply to practitioners who operate independently of the College and Association."

Powell added, "In addition to the trademark infringement and misrepresentation claims being addressed by our lawyers, we are concerned that students who register with this organization are mistakenly expecting to receive a recognized designation from The College of Pedorthics of Canada or the Pedorthic Association of Canada - which they will not. We are distraught thinking that the public may unwittingly purchase custom orthotics from practitioners 'trained' by this organization who do not have the proper training and could be doing more harm than good."

"Currently there are more than 550 Canadian Certified Pedorthists nation-wide," said Jonathan Strauss, Executive Director, Pedorthic Association of Canada. "All of them are governed by a Strict Code of Ethics and Standards upheld by The College of Pedorthics of Canada. Any practitioner who has not received certification by the College does not have to adhere to these strict Codes. Therefore, we are working closely with the College to publicly shed light on this issue to ensure patients' health is not compromised by an uncertified practitioner, and that students looking to enter this profession understand the training and education required to achieve proper certification in Canada."

A complete list of Canadian Certified Pedorthists is available at http://www.cpedcs.ca/locate.htm

About Canadian Certified Pedorthists
Canadian Certified Pedorthists - C. Ped (C) - are foot orthotic and orthopaedic footwear experts. They are one of the few healthcare professionals trained in the assessment of lower limb anatomy, muscle function and biomechanics. With specialized education and training in foot orthotics and footwear, Canadian Certified Pedorthists help to alleviate pain, abnormalities and debilitating conditions of the lower limbs and feet. As proud members of patients' healthcare teams, Canadian Certified Pedorthists consult with patients based on a referral from physicians, nurse practitioners and other healthcare providers. For more information visit pedorthic.ca or www.cpedcs.ca.

About The College of Pedorthics of Canada
The College of Pedorthics of Canada is a national self regulatory body whose primary purpose is to protect the Canadian public who receive foot-related services from Certified Pedorthists.

We ensure that certified members are accountable to the highest standards of practice through our certification of members and facilities, the monitoring of continued competency and the enforcement of ethical conduct.

SOURCE Pedorthic Association of Canada