I have a question regarding a prescription from a Naturopathic Doctor from British Columbia. The prescription is for a medication that Naturopathic Doctors in Ontario cannot prescribe. Can I dispense it?

The College does not maintain information on the scope of practice of practitioners other than pharmacy professionals in Ontario. Questions about the scope of practice and prescribing authority of another health professional should be directed to their regulatory body. Collaboration with the practitioner is also encouraged, as self-regulated health professionals should be aware of – and practicing within – their legal scope of authority and the policies and guidelines of their College. This topic was covered in the Summer 2017 Pharmacy Connection article Prescriptions from Other Healthcare Professionals. 

The Cross-Jurisdictional Pharmacy Services Policy explains that dispensers may accept a prescription written by a prescriber licensed in any province or territory of Canada. The Drug and Pharmacies Regulation Act (DPRA) defines “Prescriber” as “a person who is authorized under the laws of a province or territory of Canada to give a prescription within the scope of his or her practice of a health discipline”. An out-of-province prescriber is registered and regulated by their province’s (or territory’s) health disciplinary college. Therefore, the regulations and corresponding scope of practice of the same health discipline in Ontario cannot be applied to an out-of-province practitioner. Similarly, a pharmacist licensed in another province whose scope includes prescribing authority (for example, to initiate treatment for minor ailments or to renew a prescription) is considered a prescriber for the purposes of the Act.