Author: Charlotte Burchett Wong

A new Pharmacy Connection article explores why recognizing, reporting and analyzing near misses is important for patient safety and the implementation of quality improvement initiatives. Near misses are events that could have led to inappropriate medication use or patient harm but were intercepted before reaching the patient.  They also provide valuable learning opportunities. Analyzing these events to identify contributing factors can help pharmacies strengthen safeguards and make improvements that prevent future incidents.   Learn when you should…

The College has received growing feedback about the annual renewal fees. We take the feedback very seriously. Each year, the Board of Directors approves an annual operating budget that ensures OCP has the financial resources to fulfill its statutory responsibilities defined in legislation and Board-approved strategic and operational priorities as Ontario’s pharmacy regulator. This budget is carefully developed and thoughtfully considers our fiscal obligations. We recognize that annual registration fees are paid by dedicated, hard-working…

Training Course for Non-Sterile Compounding Supervisors Following approval from the Board in March 2024 and in response to operational assessment data showing non-sterile compounding standards in some pharmacies are not being fully met, the College has developed a training course for non-sterile compounding supervisors.   As of February 5, 2026, this training course, which comprises eight modules and one final exam, is mandatory for registrants who are:  New to the role of non-sterile compounding supervisor   Current non-sterile compounding supervisors in…

A new Pharmacy Connection article shares a helpful tool to support pharmacy professionals with documentation in the patient record. Complete, up-to-date and accurate patient records enhance patient safety by supporting continuity of care, inter- and intra-professional delivery of care, and optimized decision making. Pharmacy technicians play an important role by gathering, reviewing, entering and/or updating the information in a patient record. They can also conduct a Best Possible Medication History (BPMH) to support the pharmacist’s clinical assessment…

AIMS is an important program that helps keep patients safe. The consistent and mandatory standard for medication safety for all pharmacies in the province enables continuous quality improvements and shared learnings to reduce the risk of medication incidents and prevent patient harm.   New requirements of the AIMS Program will take effect on January 1, 2027. This means that 2026 will be a year of transition and preparation for pharmacies. Check out our latest Pharmacy Connection…

Please be advised that due to scheduled maintenance of our system, My Account and Find a Pharmacy/Professional will be unavailable December 31st, 2025, from 6:00 pm EST until January 1st, 2026, at 12:00 pm EST.

The College’s practice advisors routinely conduct practice assessments of Part A pharmacy technicians in their Designated Practice Assessment (DPA) site. The latest Pharmacy Connection article shares the most common misconceptions advisors have encountered about the activities that pharmacy technicians can perform. For each item, we highlight what pharmacy technicians can and can’t do and share other important information to know. It is important for patient safety that pharmacy technicians know and practice within their scope of practice and the authorized acts…

Time-delayed safes and associated signage are important tools to help deter pharmacy robberies. In March 2023, the College’s Board of Directors approved the requirement for all community pharmacies to use time-delayed safes for securing narcotics. Additionally, community pharmacies are required to prominently display College-approved time-delayed safe signage at each public entrance to the pharmacy and in or adjacent to the dispensary area. This latest Practice Insight article explores the outcome of several investigations related to…

To support pharmacies in planning for upcoming changes to the AIMS Program, including the selection of a medication safety reporting platform of their choice, the College is sharing a timeline of actions that need to take place prior to implementation in January 2027. AIMS is an important program that helps keep patients safe. The consistent and mandatory standard for medication safety for all pharmacies in the province enables continuous quality improvements and shared learnings to…

We are pleased to share a new update on our progress in addressing business pressures in pharmacy in Ontario. The College’s approach to addressing business pressures incorporates elements related to regulatory programs, data collection and reporting, legislation and regulation changes, and engagement and outreach.  Read the October 2025 progress update to learn more about the continued expansion of our pilot project on operational assessments in pharmacies and the additional mechanism we are exploring to tackle…