Key Board Decisions and Discussions: March 23, 2026

Key decisions and discussions from the March 23, 2026, Board meeting are summarized below.  

Pharmacy Technician annual fees to undergo comprehensive review
The Board directed staff to undertake a comprehensive review of pharmacy technician fees and to provide fee structure options for consideration at the September 2026 Board meeting ahead of the 2027 budget process. Although fee changes were not possible for 2026 under the current By-Law and timelines, the Board agreed that the feedback received through a petition and emails from pharmacy technicians was significant and should be thoroughly considered before the next fee-setting process later this year.

Board size and term limits to increase
Based on the Governance Committee’s analysis of an environmental scan, operational considerations related to discipline hearing capacity, and feedback gathered during a 60-day public consultation, the Board approved changes to the College By-Law to increase the number of elected directors by two, comprising one additional pharmacist and one additional pharmacy technician, and extend the maximum term limits for elected Board directors from six to nine years, based on the ability to complete three consecutive three-year terms. The By-Law change will take effect immediately to enable implementation for the 2026 election cycle. 

Strategic Plan refresh approach and scope approved
To help ensure that OCP’s five-year strategic plan remains a current and relevant document that aligns and prioritizes the College’s work to meet its public protection mandate, the Board approved a strategic plan refresh approach and scope for 2026. Completion of this work is intended to produce the following outputs:

• A refreshed articulation of the strategic priorities/goals, as appropriate
• A concise strategic plan summary reflecting those priorities
• An underlying operational outline supporting the strategic priorities for the remaining two years of the plan’s lifecycle

Safeguards established for anticipated expanded scope activities
In anticipation of government approval for regulatory changes that would expand the scope of practice for pharmacy professionals in Ontario, and based on earlier Board direction to staff to recommend appropriate safeguards for safe and effective implementation, the Board approved the following two items:

1. Mandatory CPR and First Aid Training for pharmacy technicians
   After reviewing feedback from a 60-day public consultation on proposed mandatory CPR and first aid training for pharmacy technicians who are administering injectable drugs and substances, the Board approved a revised Administering a Substance by Injection Guideline and a Declaration of Completion of Injection Training statement for pharmacy technicians. This requirement will only be mandatory for pharmacy technicians who are administering injections – those who are not engaged in administering injections would not be required to obtain CPR and first aid certification. This mirrors the current requirements for pharmacists and comes into effect subject to the government’s approval of proposed expanded scope activities that would authorize pharmacy technicians (including intern technicians) to administer all vaccines listed in Schedule 3 of Ontario Regulation 256/24, under the Pharmacy Act, 1991.
   
2. Mandatory learning for three proposed minor ailments and the administration of Sublocade
   To ensure that an appropriate level of practice competence exists among pharmacists engaging in certain proposed expanded scope activities, the Board approved draft mandatory learning requirements for the assessment and treatment of acute pharyngitis, otitis externa, and herpes zoster, as well as for the administration of Sublocade. The proposed requirements are outlined in draft guidelines and guidance and will soon be shared as part of a public consultation before being brought back to the Board for final approval at an upcoming meeting. The consultation will seek feedback on the required learning for specified activities, as well as the mechanism to be used to demonstrate that these requirements have been met prior to engaging in the specified expanded scope activity.