skip to content

Ghali, Robert John

CPSO#: 70287

MEMBER STATUS
Active Member as of 20 Aug 2020
CURRENT OR PAST CPSO REGISTRATION CLASS
Restricted as of 08 Dec 2017

Summary

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum ac diam sit amet quam vehicula elementum sed sit amet dui. Vivamus suscipit tortor eget felis porttitor volutpat. Curabitur non nulla sit amet nisl tempus convallis quis ac lectus. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Vivamus suscipit tortor eget felis porttitor volutpat. Curabitur arcu erat, accumsan id imperdiet et, porttitor at sem. Vestibulum ac diam sit amet quam vehicula elementum sed sit amet dui. Donec sollicitudin molestie malesuada. Pellentesque in ipsum id orci porta dapibus.

Former Name: No Former Name

Gender: Male

Languages Spoken: English

Education: Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistr, 1996

Practice Information

Primary Location of Practice
Suite 208
525 Belmont Avenue West
Kitchener ON  N2G 1E4
Phone: 519-744-5221
Fax: 519-742-8133 Electoral District: 03

Professional Corporation Information


Corporation Name: Robert J. Ghali Medicine Professional Corporation
Certificate of Authorization Status: Issued Date:  Nov 24 2006

Shareholders:
Dr. R. Ghali ( CPSO# 70287 )

Business Address:
208-525 Belmont Avenue West
Kitchener ON  N2M 5E2
Phone Number: (519) 744-5221

Specialties

Specialty Issued On Type
Family Medicine Effective:09 Jun 1998 CFPC Specialist

Postgraduate Training

Please note: This information may not be a complete record of postgraduate training.



Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistr, 01 Jul 1996 to 30 Jun 1997
PostGrad Yr 1 - Family Medicine

Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistr, 01 Jul 1997 to 30 Jun 1998
PostGrad Yr 2 - Family Medicine

Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistr, 01 Jul 1998 to 31 Jul 1998
PostGrad Yr 2 - Family Medicine

Registration History

Action Issue Date
First certificate of registration issued: Postgraduate Education Certificate Effective: 01 Jul 1996
Transfer of class of registration to: Independent Practice Certificate Effective: 19 Jun 1998
Transfer of class of certificate to: Restricted certificate Effective: 05 Nov 2008
Terms and conditions imposed on certificate by member Effective: 05 Nov 2008
Transfer of class of registration to: Independent Practice Certificate Effective: 07 May 2014
Transfer of class of certificate to: Restricted certificate Effective: 08 Dec 2017
Terms and conditions imposed on certificate by member Effective: 08 Dec 2017
Terms and conditions amended by member Effective: 30 Nov 2018
Terms and conditions amended by Discipline Committee Effective: 19 Feb 2020
Terms and conditions amended by Discipline Committee Effective: 19 Feb 2020
Suspension of registration removed Effective: 20 Aug 2020

Practice Restrictions

Imposed By Effective Date Expiry Date Status
Discipline Committee Effective: 19 Feb 2020 Active
             (1 of 2)
            As from February 19, 2020, by order of the Discipline Committee of the College
            of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, the following term, condition and
            limitation is imposed on the certificate of registration held by Dr. Robert
            John Ghali: 

                  (i)   Dr Ghali shall comply with the College Policy "Closing a Medical
                        Practice"
                  
                  
            (2 of 2)
            As from November 30, 2018, the following is imposed as a term, condition and
            limitation on the certificate of registration held by Dr. Robert John Ghali, in
            accordance with an undertaking and consent given by Dr. Ghali to the College of
            Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario:

                        UNDERTAKING, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND CONSENT
                                          ("Undertaking") 
                  
                                                of
                  
                                    DR.  ROBERT JOHN GHALI
                                          ("Dr. Ghali") 
                  
                                                to
                  
                        COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS OF ONTARIO
                                          (the "College")
                  
                  
                  
                  
            A.    PREAMBLE

            (1)   In this Undertaking:

                  "Code" means the Health Professions Procedural Code, which is Schedule 2
                  to the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991, S.O. 1991, c. 18, as
                  amended;
                  
                  "NMS" means the Drug Program Services Branch, the Narcotics Monitoring
                  System implemented under the Narcotics Safety and Awareness Act, 2010,
                  S.O. 2010, c. 22, as amended;
                  
                  "OHIP" means the Ontario Health Insurance Plan;
                  
                  "Public Register" means the College's register that is available to the
                  public.
                  
            (2)   I, Dr. Ghali, certificate of registration number 70287, am a member of
                  the College. The College has received information regarding my capacity
                  to practice.

            (3)   I, Dr. Ghali, acknowledge that I entered into an undertaking effective
                  December 8, 2017 not to practice medicine until certain conditions were
                  met. This undertaking supersedes the December 8, 2017 undertaking.

            B.    UNDERTAKING

            (4)   I, Dr. Ghali, undertake to abide by the provisions of this Undertaking,
                  effective immediately.

            (5)   Resignation of Prescribing Privileges

                  (a)   I, Dr. Ghali, acknowledge that I will execute the Prescribing
                        Resignation Letter to Health Canada, effective immediately, which
                        is attached hereto as Schedule "A" (the "Resignation Letter").

                  (b)   I, Dr. Ghali, consent to the College sending the Resignation Letter
                        to Health Canada on my behalf.
                  
                  (c)   I, Dr. Ghali, undertake that, effective immediately, I will not
                        issue new prescriptions or renew existing prescriptions for or
                        administer any of the following substances:
                  
                        (i)   Narcotic Drugs (from the Narcotic Control Regulations made
                              under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, S.C., 1996, c.
                              19);
                        (ii)  Narcotic Preparations (from the Narcotic Control Regulations
                              made under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, S.C.,
                              1996, c. 19);
                        (iii) Controlled Drugs (from Part G of the Food and Drug
                              Regulations under the Food and Drugs Act, S.C., 1985, c.
                              F-27);
                        (iv)  Benzodiazepines and Other Targeted Substances (from the
                              Benzodiazepines and Other Targeted Substances Regulations
                              made under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act., S.C.,
                              1996, c. 19);
                  
                        (A summary of the above-named drugs [from Appendix I to the
                        Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties] is attached hereto
                        as Schedule "B"; and the current regulatory lists are attached
                        hereto as Schedule "C")
                  
                        (v)   All other Monitored Drugs (as defined under the Narcotics
                              Safety and Awareness Act, 2010, S.O. 2010, c. 22 as noted in
                              Schedule "D");
                  
                        and as amended from time to time.
                  
            (6)   I, Dr. Ghali, undertake to inform the College of each and every location
                  that I practise or have privileges, including, but not limited to,
                  hospital(s), clinic(s) and office(s), in any jurisdiction (collectively
                  my "Practice Location(s)"), within five (5) days of executing this
                  Undertaking. Going forward, I further undertake to inform the College of
                  any and all new Practice Locations within five (5) days of commencing
                  practice at that location.

            (7)   Posting a Sign

                  (a)   I, Dr. Ghali, undertake that I shall post a sign in the waiting
                        room(s) and in each examination and consulting room, in all my
                        Practice Locations, in a clearly visible and secure location, in
                        the form set out at Schedule "E."  For further clarity, this sign
                        shall state as follows:
                  
                                    IMPORTANT NOTICE
                  
                        Dr. Ghali has agreed not to prescribe or administer any of the
                        following:
                        -     Narcotic Drugs
                        -     Narcotic Preparations
                        -     Controlled Drugs
                        -     Benzodiazepines and Other Targeted Substances
                        -     All other Monitored Drugs
                  
                        Further information may be found on the College of Physicians and
                        Surgeons of Ontario website at www.cpso.on.ca
                  
                  (b)   I, Dr. Ghali, undertake to post a certified translation in any
                        language in which I provide services, of the sign described in
                        section (7)(a) above, in the waiting room(s) and in each
                        examination and consulting room, in all my Practice Locations, in a
                        clearly visible and secure location, in the form set out at
                        Schedule "E."
                  
                  (c)   I, Dr. Ghali, undertake to provide the certified translation(s)
                        described in section (7)(b), to the College within thirty (30) days
                        of executing this Undertaking.
                  
                  (d)   I, Dr. Ghali, undertake that if I elect, after the execution of
                        this Undertaking, to provide services in any other language(s), I
                        will notify the College prior to providing any such services.
                  
                  (e)   I, Dr. Ghali, undertake to provide to the College the certified
                        translation(s) described in section (7)(c) prior to beginning to
                        provide services in the language(s) described in section (7)(d).
                  
                  
            C.    ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

            (8)   I, Dr. Ghali, acknowledge that all schedules attached to or referred to
                  in this Undertaking form part of this Undertaking.

            (9)   I, Dr. Ghali, acknowledge and undertake that I shall be solely
                  responsible for payment of all fees, costs, charges, expenses, etc.
                  arising from the implementation of any of the provisions of this
                  Undertaking.

            (10)  I, Dr. Ghali, acknowledge that I have read and understand the provisions
                  of this Undertaking and that I have obtained independent legal counsel in
                  reviewing and executing this Undertaking, or have waived my right to do
                  so.

            (11)  I, Dr. Ghali, acknowledge that the College will provide this Undertaking
                  to any Chief(s) of Staff, or a colleague(s) with similar
                  responsibilities, at any Practice Location ("Chief(s) of Staff").

            (12)  I, Dr. Ghali, acknowledge that a breach by me of any provision of this
                  Undertaking may constitute an act of professional misconduct and/or
                  incompetence, and may result in a referral of specified allegations to
                  the Discipline Committee.

            (13)  I, Dr. Ghali, acknowledge that this Undertaking constitutes terms,
                  conditions, and limitations on my certificate of registration for the
                  purposes of section 23 of the Code.

            (14)  Public Register

                  (a)   I, Dr. Ghali, acknowledge that, during the time period that this
                        Undertaking remains in effect, this Undertaking shall be posted on
                        the Public Register.
                  
                  (b)   I, Dr. Ghali, acknowledge that, in addition to this Undertaking
                        being posted in accordance with section (14)(a) above, the
                        following summary shall be posted on the Public Register during the
                        time period that this Undertaking remains in effect:
                  
                              Dr. Ghali must not issue new prescriptions or renew existing
                              prescriptions for or administer any of the following
                              substances:
                  
                              (i)   Narcotic Drugs (from the Narcotic Control Regulations
                                    made under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act,
                                    S.C., 1996, c. 19);
                              (ii)  Narcotic Preparations (from the Narcotic Control
                                    Regulations made under the Controlled Drugs and
                                    Substances Act, S.C., 1996, c. 19);
                              (iii) Controlled Drugs (from Part G of the Food and Drug
                                    Regulations under the Food and Drugs Act, S.C., 1985,
                                    c. F-27);
                              (iv)  Benzodiazepines and Other Targeted Substances (from the
                                    Benzodiazepines and Other Targeted Substances
                                    Regulations made under the Controlled Drugs and
                                    Substances Act., S.C., 1996, c. 19);
                              (v)   All other Monitored Drugs (as defined under the
                                    Narcotics Safety and Awareness Act, 2010, S.O. 2010, c.
                                    22);
                              and as amended from time to time.
                  
                              Dr. Ghali must post a clearly visible sign in the waiting
                              rooms and each examination and consulting room, in all
                              Practice Locations, which states as follows:
                  
                                          IMPORTANT NOTICE
                  
                              Dr. Ghali has agreed not to prescribe or administer any of
                              the following:
                              -     Narcotic Drugs
                              -     Narcotic Preparations
                              -     Controlled Drugs
                              -     Benzodiazepines and Other Targeted Substances
                              -     All other Monitored Drugs
                  
                              Further information may be found on the College of Physicians
                              and Surgeons of Ontario website at www.cpso.on.ca
                  
            D.    CONSENT

            (15)  I, Dr. Ghali, undertake that I will submit to, and not interfere with,
                  unannounced inspections of my Practice Location(s) and patient charts by
                  the College and to any other activity the College deems necessary in
                  order to monitor my compliance with the provisions of this Undertaking.

            (16)  I, Dr. Ghali, give my irrevocable consent to the College to make
                  appropriate enquiries of OHIP, NMS, and any person who or institution
                  that may have relevant information, in order for the College to monitor
                  my compliance with the provisions of this Undertaking.

            (17)  I, Dr. Ghali, acknowledge that I have executed the OHIP and NMS consent
                  forms, attached hereto as Schedule "F" and Schedule "G", respectively.

            (18)  I, Dr. Ghali, give my irrevocable consent to the College to provide all
                  Chief(s) of Staff with any information the College has that led to the
                  circumstances of my entering into this Undertaking and any information
                  arising from the monitoring of my compliance with this Undertaking.

Previous Hearings

Committee: Discipline
Decision Date: 19 Feb 2020
Summary:

On February 19, 2020, on the basis of agreed facts and an admission, the Discipline Committee (the “Committee”) of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario found that Dr. Robert John Ghali (“Dr. Ghali”) committed an act of professional misconduct, and set out its penalty and costs order with written reasons to follow.
 
FACTS
 
Dr. Ghali is a 50-year-old family physician practising in Kitchener. He received his first certificate of registration authorizing independent practice from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (the “College”) in 1998.
 
The facts before the Committee outlined Dr. Ghali’s past involvement with the College, beginning in 2002, related to his state of health.
 
The facts indicated, among other things, that between approximately 2015 and 2017, Dr. Ghali used other physicians’ names, without their knowledge or consent, to issue prescriptions to himself. The facts also indicated that while Dr. Ghali initially told the College he had written such prescriptions only under the name of Dr. A, he subsequently acknowledged that he had also written such prescriptions under the name of Dr. B.
Further, the facts established that when a pharmacy sent Dr. Ghali a letter questioning a prescription he had written to himself using Dr. A’s name, Dr. Ghali wrote a responding letter to the pharmacy in July 2017, purporting to be Dr. A and using Dr. A’s name and signature.
 
On November 30, 2018, Dr. Ghali entered into an Undertaking with the College that he will not issue new prescriptions or renew existing prescriptions for narcotics, controlled drugs, or benzodiazepines and other targeted substances.
 
On January 29, 2020, Dr. Ghali entered into an Undertaking with the College that requires Dr. Ghali, for as long as he holds a Certificate of Registration from the College, to comply with certain requirements regarding his health. His compliance will be monitored by the College.
 
Dr. Ghali has no prior history with the Discipline Committee of the College.
 
DISPOSITION

On February 19, 2020, the Discipline Committee ordered that:

- Dr. Ghali attend before the panel to be reprimanded
- The Registrar suspend Dr. Ghali’s certificate of registration for a period of 6 months, commencing at 12:01 a.m. on February 20, 2020
- The Registrar to place the following terms, conditions and limitations on Dr. Ghali’s certificate of registration effective immediately: Dr. Ghali shall comply with the College Policy “Closing a Medical Practice”:
- Dr. Ghali pay costs to the College in the amount $6,000.00 within 30 days of the date of the Order.
 
The Committee’s full decision with reasons was released on April 15, 2020 and may be viewed on the College’s website.


Decision: Download Full Decision (PDF)
Hearing Date(s): February 19, 2020 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Concerns

Source: Member
Active Date: November 30, 2018
Expiry Date:
Summary:
Summary of the Undertaking given by Dr. Robert John Ghali to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, effective November 30, 2018:



Dr. Ghali must not issue new prescriptions or renew existing prescriptions for or administer any of the following substances:



(i) Narcotic Drugs (from the Narcotic Control Regulations made under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, S.C., 1996, c. 19);



(ii) Narcotic Preparations (from the Narcotic Control Regulations made under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, S.C., 1996, c. 19);



(iii) Controlled Drugs (from Part G of the Food and Drug Regulations under the Food and Drugs Act, S.C., 1985, c. F-27);



(iv) Benzodiazepines and Other Targeted Substances (from the Benzodiazepines and Other Targeted Substances Regulations made under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act., S.C., 1996, c. 19);



(v) All other Monitored Drugs (as defined under the Narcotics Safety and Awareness Act, 2010, S.O. 2010, c. 22);



and as amended from time to time.



Dr. Ghali must post a clearly visible sign in the waiting rooms and each examination and consulting room, in all Practice Locations, which states as follows:



IMPORTANT NOTICE



Dr. Ghali has agreed not to prescribe or administer any of the following:



- Narcotic Drugs

- Narcotic Preparations

- Controlled Drugs

- Benzodiazepines and Other Targeted Substances

- All other Monitored Drugs



Further information may be found on the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario website at www.cpso.on.ca

CPSO will be closed on March 29, 2024. We will re-open on Monday, April 1, 2024, at 8:00 am.