This Prescriber Roles and Responsibilities
document is solely intended to provide
general information to the prescriber who
assesses clients and signs Assistive Devices
Program (ADP) application forms. For
certainty, please consult the Policies and Procedures Manual for the Assistive Devices Program and the policy and administration manual for the devices funded by the ADP.
For the purpose of this document only, a
prescriber is a person who can communicate
on an application form, a diagnosis, long-term
physical disability or the prescription of a
medical device. A prescriber may be a
physician or another health care provider as
documented in the device-specific policy and
administration manual.
The prescriber often provides the first
assessment of the client for an ADP-funded
device, and communicates on a Request
for Funding application form a diagnosis or
long-term physical disability which requires
a device and/or supplies funded by the
ADP.
ADP prescribers are expected to:
- assess the applicant in person and
confirm that the diagnosis, long-term
physical disability is sufficient to warrant
the need for an assistive device and/or
supplies on a long-term basis;
- ensure, to the best of his or her abilities,
that the required assistive device and/or
supplies will be used as part of the
applicant’s regular daily activities and
not for exclusive use in sports, school or
work;
- in consultation with the authorizer and
the client, participate in the
determination of a particular type of
device and/or supplies that will meet the
client’s needs;
- ensure that the necessary consent is
obtained to disclose confidential client
information to the Ministry and/or ADP
authorizer or vendor;
- provide the applicant with accurate
information throughout their
assessment process;
- make efforts to provide the client with
access to his or her personal health
records related to the ADP request for
funding and take reasonable steps to
protect the confidentiality of those
records;
- avoid any financial relationship with the
vendor’s business except as permitted
for Hearing Devices and Visual Aids;
- initiate and assess the effectiveness of
home oxygen therapy, to make changes
to home oxygen therapy based on their
assessments and to discontinue home
oxygen therapy when appropriate
(Home Oxygen);
- for Home Oxygen and Insulin Pumps
and Supplies, ensure that the applicant
meets ADP eligibility criteria on an
ongoing basis
- in ADP device categories where there is
no authorizer, recommend the particular
device for the applicant (e.g., Home
Oxygen, Insulin Pumps and Supplies,
Respiratory Equipment and Supplies).
ADP prescribers can expect to:
- be notified by the vendor when the
authorized device is not supplied to the
client for safety reasons;
- for hearing aids, receive the applicant’s
audiological functioning and hearing aid
recommendation prior to completing the
form;
- be required to provide more information
to authorizers and/or vendors during the
application process, when necessary.