THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS OBTAINED FROM THE PHYSICIAN REGISTER SECTION OF THE WEBSITE OF THE COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS OF ONTARIO (WWW.CPSO.ON.CA) AS OF THE DATE AND TIME NOTED BELOW
13/06/25 02:10:59 AM

General Information

Former Name: No Former Name
Medical School: University of Toronto, 1991
Gender: Man
Languages Spoken: ENGLISH, HEBREW, RUSSIAN

Practice Information

Primary Business Location: Suite 100
13291 Yonge Street
Richmond Hill Ontario L4E 4L6
Business Email: No Information Available
Phone: (905) 773-7759
Fax: 905 773-1325

Specialties

SPECIALTY ISSUED ON CERTIFYING BODY
Family Medicine
Effective: 08 Jun 1993
College of Family Physicians of Canada
SPECIALTY: Family Medicine
ISSUED ON: Effective: Jun 08 1993
CERTIFYING BODY: College of Family Physicians of Canada

Hospital Privileges

HOSPITAL LOCATION
Mackenzie Health Richmond Hill
HOSPITAL: Mackenzie Health
LOCATION: Richmond Hill

Professional Corporation Information

Corporation Name: DR. MICHAEL VARENBUT MEDICINE PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION
Certificate of Authorization Status: Issued Date: 06 Feb 2025
Shareholders:
Dr. M. Varenbut (CPSO#: 63881 )
Business Address: 36 Evita Court
Vaughan Ontario L4J 8K6 6472825029
Corporation Name: Daiter-Varenbut Medicine Professional Corporation
Certificate of Authorization Status: Inactive End Date: 30 Jan 2015

General Information

Former Name: No Former Name
Gender: Man
Languages Spoken: ENGLISH, HEBREW, RUSSIAN
Medical School: University of Toronto, 1991

Practice Information

Primary Business Location: Suite 100
13291 Yonge Street
Richmond Hill Ontario L4E 4L6
Business Email: No Information Available
Phone: (905) 773-7759
Fax: 905 773-1325

Specialties

SPECIALTY ISSUED ON CERTIFYING BODY
Family Medicine
Effective: 08 Jun 1993
College of Family Physicians of Canada
SPECIALTY: Family Medicine
ISSUED ON: Effective: Jun 08 1993
CERTIFYING BODY: College of Family Physicians of Canada

Hospital Privileges

HOSPITAL LOCATION
Mackenzie Health Richmond Hill
HOSPITAL: Mackenzie Health
LOCATION: Richmond Hill

Professional Corporation Information

Corporation Name: DR. MICHAEL VARENBUT MEDICINE PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION
Certificate of Authorization Status: Issued Date: 06 Feb 2025
Shareholders:
Dr. M. Varenbut (CPSO#: 63881 )
Business Address: 36 Evita Court
Vaughan Ontario L4J 8K6 6472825029
Corporation Name: Daiter-Varenbut Medicine Professional Corporation
Certificate of Authorization Status: Inactive End Date: 30 Jan 2015

Practice Conditions

VIEW DETAILS chevron-down icon
(1) Dr. MICHAEL VARENBUT may practise only in the areas of medicine in which Dr. VARENBUT is educated and experienced.
VIEW DETAILS chevron-down icon
(1) Dr. MICHAEL VARENBUT may practise only in the areas of medicine in which Dr. VARENBUT is educated and experienced.

Current Tribunal Proceedings

No information available

Past Tribunal Proceedings (2)

Date of Decision: 20 Nov 2015
Summary of Decision:
On November 20, 2015, the Discipline Committee found that Dr. Varenbut committed an act of professional misconduct in that he engaged in conduct or an act or omission relevant to the practice of medicine that, having regard to all the circumstances, would reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional. Dr. Varenbut admitted to the allegation.

Between approximately 2005 and 2013, Dr. Varenbut held appointments at various times at six hospitals and a university. Between 2005 and 2013, Dr. Varenbut failed to disclose, in certain applications for renewal of privileges or appointment at a number of different institutions, that he had been the subject of College investigations in the previous year, or that restrictions had been imposed on his certificate of registration, where that information was required to be disclosed.

Prior to completing the applications, Dr. Varenbut was not provided with specific advice on completing them or that the scope of disclosure requested can vary from year to year, and from one hospital to another. Dr. Varenbut did disclose in his applications, where appropriate, the existence of his College Discipline Committee finding. Dr. Varenbut also provided his consent to allow the  hospital/institution to obtain information from the College in relation to College matters, where this was sought. Dr. Varenbut did not exercise his hospital privileges during the relevant time period and had no clinical patient responsibility in any of the hospitals/institutions.

The appointments were obtained and maintained as a corollary to his teaching appointments or so that if a patient on methadone in the community required hospitalization, a physician qualified in methadone treatment would be available to provide a prescription for methadone while the patient was hospitalized.

On February 19, 2013, the Discipline Committee found that Dr. Varenbut engaged in professional misconduct in relation to his failure to maintain the standard of practice of the profession arising out of a patient’s access to care. In February of 2013, Dr. Varenbut had an
academic appointment at the University. The University procedures require clinical faculty to report decisions of the Discipline Committee to the Department Chair within seven days. In July of 2012, Dr. Varenbut reported the discipline referral to his academic supervisor at the University. He also voluntarily relinquished his academic role and took a voluntary one year sabbatical, pending the outcome of the discipline referral. On April 19, 2013, Dr. Varenbut received a letter from the Chair of the Department expressing concern that he had not disclosed his discipline finding to her directly within seven days as required pursuant to the procedure manual. Prior to this letter, Dr. Varenbut had not notified the Department Chair of the discipline finding.

Dr. Varenbut admitted that he engaged in professional misconduct by failing to provide complete and/or accurate information in a timely manner to the University and/or hospitals where he had an academic appointment and/or from whom he sought reappointment.

The Discipline Committee ordered and directed that:
• The Registrar suspend Dr. Varenbut’s certificate of registration for three (3) months, commencing on November 21, 2015.
• Dr. Varenbut appear before the panel to be reprimanded
• Dr. Varenbut pay to the College costs in the amount of $4,460 within 30 days of this Order.
 
Reasons for Decision: Download Full Decision (PDF)
Hearing Date(s): November 20, 2015
Date of Decision: 19 Feb 2013
Summary of Decision:
On February 19, 2013, the Discipline Committee found that Dr. Michael Varenbut committed an act of professional misconduct, in that he failed to maintain the standard of practice of the profession. Dr. Varenbut admitted the allegation.

Dr. Varenbut is an Addiction Medicine specialist and is a co-founder of the Ontario Addiction Treatment Centres (OATC), the country's largest network of methadone clinics. OATC provides a range of harm reduction treatment modalities, including Methadone Maintenance Treatment ("MMT").

In 2005, Patient A sought help for her drug addiction from OATC. She received treatment from OATC clinics in Thunder Bay, Sudbury and Peterborough between 2005 and the spring of 2008.In mid-2006, Dr. Varenbut became the Most Responsible Physician with respect to her care.

Throughout her involvement with OATC, Patient A's attendance for her regular urine samples, supervised methadone doses and clinic appointments was sporadic. Clinic staff felt Patient A was challenging and demanding and that her non-compliance and the hostile conduct of her partner created more challenges than most patients within their clinic structure. After travelling to southern Ontario for a medical procedure in the spring of 2008, Patient A stopped taking her methadone dose. In August of 2008, Patient A asked to re-start the methadone program at OATC. At the time she was using cocaine and other opiates, including by injection. Clinic staff told her she would have to leave urine samples twice a week and have blood work and an ECG done before she could see a doctor. Clinic staff indicated that these preconditions were now required for all patients seeking to be initiated on the program. Although Patient A provided 24 witnessed urine samples at the OATC clinic between August 2008 and March 2009, she didn't complete her blood work until early March of 2009 and did not obtain an ECG. She was not given an appointment with Dr. Varenbut, who viewed her failure to complete the other tests as demonstrating a lack of commitment to the program and thus was unwilling to waive the requirements.

In early 2009, Patient A stressed the importance of seeing a physician as she wanted to go on methadone and receive take-home doses for a vacation out of the country. In early April, 2009, after returning from her trip, she attended at the clinic to provide a urine sample and was advised by clinic staff that Dr. Varenbut was terminating her care and OATC would not provide her with methadone treatment.

Dr. Varenbut failed to maintain the standard of care with respect to Patient A by:

a) failing to provide Patient A with a physician appointment within a reasonable time after she sought to be re-admitted to the MMT program in August 2008;
b) failing to make a timely decision about whether or not to accept Patient A back into the MMT program; and

c) unreasonably delaying Patient A's access to methadone treatment, of which she was in urgent need.


Dr. Varenbut intends to stop his methadone practice and has already started to transfer his MMT patients to other physicians. Since the time of Patient A's involvement with Dr. Varenbut and the OATC clinics, the following changes have been implemented at OATC:
(i) An Involuntary Discharge Policy which details the protocol to be followed when terminating a MMT patient has been implemented at all OATC clinics.
(ii) The OATC has a "Best Practice Committee" comprised of five OATC physicians, a Clinical Case Manager, clinic nurses and other ad hoc members of the team. A dedicated subcommittee of the Best Practice Committee, the "Involuntary Discharge Committee", has been formed which collaborates on any decision to discharge a patient involuntarily from OATC.

In 2008, an assessment of Dr. Varenbut's MMT practice based on a review of his care of 15 patients was conducted for the College's Methadone Committee. The Committee concluded that his care of these patients complied with the MMT Guidelines.

The Committee ordered and directed that:
Dr. Varenbut appear before the panel to be reprimanded.
Dr. Varenbut pay to the College costs in the amount of $14,600 within 60 days of the date of this Order.
 
Reasons for Decision: Download Full Decision (PDF)
Appeal: No Appeal
Hearing Date(s): February 19, 2013

Current Tribunal Proceedings

No information available

Past Tribunal Proceedings (2)

Date of Decision: 20 Nov 2015
Summary of Decision:
On November 20, 2015, the Discipline Committee found that Dr. Varenbut committed an act of professional misconduct in that he engaged in conduct or an act or omission relevant to the practice of medicine that, having regard to all the circumstances, would reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional. Dr. Varenbut admitted to the allegation.

Between approximately 2005 and 2013, Dr. Varenbut held appointments at various times at six hospitals and a university. Between 2005 and 2013, Dr. Varenbut failed to disclose, in certain applications for renewal of privileges or appointment at a number of different institutions, that he had been the subject of College investigations in the previous year, or that restrictions had been imposed on his certificate of registration, where that information was required to be disclosed.

Prior to completing the applications, Dr. Varenbut was not provided with specific advice on completing them or that the scope of disclosure requested can vary from year to year, and from one hospital to another. Dr. Varenbut did disclose in his applications, where appropriate, the existence of his College Discipline Committee finding. Dr. Varenbut also provided his consent to allow the  hospital/institution to obtain information from the College in relation to College matters, where this was sought. Dr. Varenbut did not exercise his hospital privileges during the relevant time period and had no clinical patient responsibility in any of the hospitals/institutions.

The appointments were obtained and maintained as a corollary to his teaching appointments or so that if a patient on methadone in the community required hospitalization, a physician qualified in methadone treatment would be available to provide a prescription for methadone while the patient was hospitalized.

On February 19, 2013, the Discipline Committee found that Dr. Varenbut engaged in professional misconduct in relation to his failure to maintain the standard of practice of the profession arising out of a patient’s access to care. In February of 2013, Dr. Varenbut had an
academic appointment at the University. The University procedures require clinical faculty to report decisions of the Discipline Committee to the Department Chair within seven days. In July of 2012, Dr. Varenbut reported the discipline referral to his academic supervisor at the University. He also voluntarily relinquished his academic role and took a voluntary one year sabbatical, pending the outcome of the discipline referral. On April 19, 2013, Dr. Varenbut received a letter from the Chair of the Department expressing concern that he had not disclosed his discipline finding to her directly within seven days as required pursuant to the procedure manual. Prior to this letter, Dr. Varenbut had not notified the Department Chair of the discipline finding.

Dr. Varenbut admitted that he engaged in professional misconduct by failing to provide complete and/or accurate information in a timely manner to the University and/or hospitals where he had an academic appointment and/or from whom he sought reappointment.

The Discipline Committee ordered and directed that:
• The Registrar suspend Dr. Varenbut’s certificate of registration for three (3) months, commencing on November 21, 2015.
• Dr. Varenbut appear before the panel to be reprimanded
• Dr. Varenbut pay to the College costs in the amount of $4,460 within 30 days of this Order.
 
Reasons for Decision: Download Full Decision (PDF)
Hearing Date(s): November 20, 2015
Date of Decision: 19 Feb 2013
Summary of Decision:
On February 19, 2013, the Discipline Committee found that Dr. Michael Varenbut committed an act of professional misconduct, in that he failed to maintain the standard of practice of the profession. Dr. Varenbut admitted the allegation.

Dr. Varenbut is an Addiction Medicine specialist and is a co-founder of the Ontario Addiction Treatment Centres (OATC), the country's largest network of methadone clinics. OATC provides a range of harm reduction treatment modalities, including Methadone Maintenance Treatment ("MMT").

In 2005, Patient A sought help for her drug addiction from OATC. She received treatment from OATC clinics in Thunder Bay, Sudbury and Peterborough between 2005 and the spring of 2008.In mid-2006, Dr. Varenbut became the Most Responsible Physician with respect to her care.

Throughout her involvement with OATC, Patient A's attendance for her regular urine samples, supervised methadone doses and clinic appointments was sporadic. Clinic staff felt Patient A was challenging and demanding and that her non-compliance and the hostile conduct of her partner created more challenges than most patients within their clinic structure. After travelling to southern Ontario for a medical procedure in the spring of 2008, Patient A stopped taking her methadone dose. In August of 2008, Patient A asked to re-start the methadone program at OATC. At the time she was using cocaine and other opiates, including by injection. Clinic staff told her she would have to leave urine samples twice a week and have blood work and an ECG done before she could see a doctor. Clinic staff indicated that these preconditions were now required for all patients seeking to be initiated on the program. Although Patient A provided 24 witnessed urine samples at the OATC clinic between August 2008 and March 2009, she didn't complete her blood work until early March of 2009 and did not obtain an ECG. She was not given an appointment with Dr. Varenbut, who viewed her failure to complete the other tests as demonstrating a lack of commitment to the program and thus was unwilling to waive the requirements.

In early 2009, Patient A stressed the importance of seeing a physician as she wanted to go on methadone and receive take-home doses for a vacation out of the country. In early April, 2009, after returning from her trip, she attended at the clinic to provide a urine sample and was advised by clinic staff that Dr. Varenbut was terminating her care and OATC would not provide her with methadone treatment.

Dr. Varenbut failed to maintain the standard of care with respect to Patient A by:

a) failing to provide Patient A with a physician appointment within a reasonable time after she sought to be re-admitted to the MMT program in August 2008;
b) failing to make a timely decision about whether or not to accept Patient A back into the MMT program; and

c) unreasonably delaying Patient A's access to methadone treatment, of which she was in urgent need.


Dr. Varenbut intends to stop his methadone practice and has already started to transfer his MMT patients to other physicians. Since the time of Patient A's involvement with Dr. Varenbut and the OATC clinics, the following changes have been implemented at OATC:
(i) An Involuntary Discharge Policy which details the protocol to be followed when terminating a MMT patient has been implemented at all OATC clinics.
(ii) The OATC has a "Best Practice Committee" comprised of five OATC physicians, a Clinical Case Manager, clinic nurses and other ad hoc members of the team. A dedicated subcommittee of the Best Practice Committee, the "Involuntary Discharge Committee", has been formed which collaborates on any decision to discharge a patient involuntarily from OATC.

In 2008, an assessment of Dr. Varenbut's MMT practice based on a review of his care of 15 patients was conducted for the College's Methadone Committee. The Committee concluded that his care of these patients complied with the MMT Guidelines.

The Committee ordered and directed that:
Dr. Varenbut appear before the panel to be reprimanded.
Dr. Varenbut pay to the College costs in the amount of $14,600 within 60 days of the date of this Order.
 
Reasons for Decision: Download Full Decision (PDF)
Appeal: No Appeal
Hearing Date(s): February 19, 2013

Training

Medical School: University of Toronto, 1991

Registration History

DETAILS DATE
Transfer of class of registration to: Independent Practice Certificate Effective: 08 Nov 2024
Suspension of registration removed. Effective: 21 Feb 2016
Suspension of registration imposed: Discipline Committee Effective: 21 Nov 2015
Transfer of class of registration to: Restricted Certificate Effective: 10 Aug 2011
Arrow_iconTerms and conditions imposed on certificate by: Member Effective: 10 Aug 2011
Transfer of class of registration to: Independent Practice Certificate Effective: 23 Jun 1992
First certificate of registration issued: Postgraduate Education Certificate Effective: 17 Jun 1991
DETAILS: Transfer of class of registration to: Independent Practice Certificate
Date: Effective: 08 Nov 2024
DETAILS: Suspension of registration removed.
Date: Effective: 21 Feb 2016
DETAILS: Suspension of registration imposed: Discipline Committee
Date: Effective: 21 Nov 2015
DETAILS: Transfer of class of registration to: Restricted Certificate
Date: Effective: 10 Aug 2011
DETAILS: Terms and conditions imposed on certificate by: Member
Date: Effective: 10 Aug 2011
DETAILS: Transfer of class of registration to: Independent Practice Certificate
Date: Effective: 23 Jun 1992
DETAILS: First certificate of registration issued: Postgraduate Education Certificate
Date: Effective: 17 Jun 1991