31. (1) In this section, “benefit” means any benefit, gift, advantage or emolument of any kind whatsoever, whether direct or indirect, and includes, (a) the receipt of any benefit from the services of any person or reimbursement of the cost thereof, (b) the benefit or receipt of the payment or reduction of any amount of any debt or financial obligation, (c) the receipt of any consultation fee or other fee for services rendered, except pursuant to a written contract for each such service where, (i) a copy of the contract is available and produced to the College on demand, (ii) each contracted service is within the normal scope of the member’s specialty, and (iii) each service is supported by records adequate to satisfy the College that it was in fact performed, (d) the acceptance of any loan except pursuant to a written evidence of indebtedness, (i) executed at the time of transfer of funds, (ii) witnessed at the time of actual execution by an individual whose name is legibly recorded on the document, (iii) available and produced to the College on demand, and (iv) that provides for a fixed term of loan and fixes a set interest rate, both of which are reasonable having a view to prevailing market rates at the time of the loan, (e) the acceptance of a loan that is interest free or related in any way to any referral made by the member, (f) the acceptance of credit unless the credit is unrelated in any way to any referral of patients to the creditor and the credit is extended pursuant to an agreement in writing, (i) executed at the time of the transaction, (ii) witnessed at the time of actual execution by an individual whose name is legibly recorded on the agreement, (iii) available and produced to the College on demand, and (iv) which provides for a fixed term of credit and fixes a set interest rate, both of which are reasonable having a view to prevailing market rates at the time of the transaction; “medical goods or services” includes medical goods, appliances, materials, services and equipment, and drugs and laboratory services; “member of his or her family” means any person connected with a member by blood relationship, marriage or adoption, and (a) persons are connected by blood relationship if one is the child or other descendent of the other or one is the brother or sister of the other, (b) persons are connected by marriage if one is married to the other or to a person who is connected by blood relationship to the other, and (c) persons are connected by adoption if one has been adopted, either legally or in fact, as the child of the other or as the child or a person who is so connected by blood relationship (otherwise than as a brother or sister) to the other; “supplier” means a person who, (a) sells or otherwise supplies medical goods or services, or (b) is registered or licensed under any Act regulating a health profession.  R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 548, s. 31 (1). (2) It is a conflict of interest for a member where the member, or a member of his or her family, or a corporation wholly, substantially or actually owned or controlled by the member or a member of his or her family, (a) receives any benefit, directly or indirectly, from, (i) a supplier to whom the member refers his or her patients or their specimens, or (ii) a supplier who sells or otherwise supplies any medical goods or services to the patients of the member; (b) rents premises to, (i) a supplier to whom the member refers his or her patients or their specimens, or (ii) a supplier who sells or otherwise supplies any medical goods or services to the patients of the member, except where, (iii) the rent is normal for the area in which the premises are located, and (iv) the amount of the rent is not related to the volume of business carried out in the premises by the tenant; (c) rents premises from, (i) a supplier to whom the member refers his or her patients or their specimens, or (ii) a supplier who sells or otherwise supplies any medical goods or services to the patients of the member, except where, (iii) the rent is normal for the area in which the premises are located, and (iv) the amount of the rent is not related to the referral of patients to the landlord; or (d) sells or otherwise supplies any drug, medical appliance, medical product or biological preparation to a patient at a profit, except, (i) a drug sold or supplied by a member to his or her patient that is necessary, (A) for an immediate treatment of the patient, (B) in an emergency, or (C) where the services of a pharmacist are not reasonably readily available, or (ii) despite subclause (i), an allergy preparation prepared by a member for his or her patient that is sold or supplied by the member for a price that does not exceed, (A) the true cost of production of the preparation, and (B) the fee for the professional component, for the member’s review of the case, the prescription of the material and the general supervision of the member’s laboratory in preparing the material.  R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 548, s. 31 (2). (3) It is a conflict of interest for a member to order diagnostic tests other than medically necessary tests to be performed by a diagnostic facility in which the member or a member of his or her family has any proprietary interest.  R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 548, s. 31 (3).