Designated Manager
The DM has authority and accountability over decisions affecting the operation of a pharmacy and is responsible for effectively overseeing the day-to-day management of the pharmacy.
Regulations place the responsibility of maintaining the standards of accreditation on the owner and DM. To ensure staff engagement and understanding in maintaining these standards, the DM must provide access and orientation to the pharmacy’s policies and procedures and have systems in place to assess ongoing compliance. For example, policies and procedures should address how pharmacy staff are required to collect, use, protect, store and dispose of personal health information, especially when using technology to deliver patient care.
DMs must meet and maintain the Standards of Operation for the pharmacy, which include implementation of the College’s Assurance and Improvement in Medication Safety (AIMS) program to support patient safety and continuous quality improvement. Internal policies and procedures must be regularly reviewed and updated in response to changes in the practice environment (i.e., public health emergencies, amendments to legislation, new equipment, etc.).
The Professional Supervision of Pharmacy Personnel Policy further describes the role of the DM in human resources management, such as ensuring:
- adequate supervision of both professional and lay staff to perform their assigned duties
- controlled acts are only performed by regulated staff or under delegation.
- workflow processes are sound, robust and consistently followed to optimize the delivery of professional services
- staffing supports registrants in meeting the standards of practice for patient care at all times
A comprehensive list of obligations can be found under the Role of Designated Manager section in the Application for a Certificate of Accreditation and/or Change of Designated Manager Form.
Pharmacist owners/directors automatically assume responsibility in the absence of a DM. If there is no DM on a pharmacy’s record with the College, a representative from Pharmacy Applications & Renewals will follow up with the owner/director liaison. Compliance with the Drug and Pharmacies Regulation Act, which requires a DM to be on the public register, is a requirement for the annual renewal of the pharmacy’s certificate of accreditation.
Nothing prohibits a pharmacist from acting as the DM at more than one community pharmacy. It is the pharmacist’s responsibility to ensure they are capable of fulfilling their obligations at every pharmacy where they hold this designation.
The College does not stipulate the number of hours a DM must work at their pharmacy nor set out time limits for absences. Rather, the responsibility is on the DM to determine the amount of time they need to be present to fulfill their obligations.
The DM is responsible for the overall day-to-day operation of the pharmacy whether they are physically present or not. In the event of an extended period of absence for any reason, it is up to the registrant to decide if they can continue to meet their obligations and duties as DM during this time or whether another pharmacist should take on this role in the interim. Whenever there is a change in the DM, the pharmacy owner must file notice of the change with the College.