PHARMACY CONNECTION ARTICLE

AIMS Program: Expectations and Requirements of Pharmacies During 2026 

Published on: January 6, 2026

Important changes to the Assurance and Improvement in Medication Safety (AIMS) Program will take effect on January 1, 2027. This article provides Designated Managers and pharmacy professionals with an overview of how they can continue to meet the requirements of the AIMS Program during the 2026 transition. 

Changes Will Support Program Engagement and Patient Safety 

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.  

The changes to the program are informed by national best practices and in alignment with NAPRA’s model standards for CQI and medication incident reporting and are intended to improve engagement with the AIMS Program, strengthen patient safety, and support the development of a strong safety culture in community pharmacies. 

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Here’s What We Expect from Community Pharmacies and Pharmacy Professionals in 2026 

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. Here are three things that Designated Managers and pharmacy professionals can do in 2026 to support medication safety, in addition to setting the pharmacy up for successful compliance with the new requirements in 2027:

1. Continue meeting the core requirements of the AIMS Program.

This includes reporting, documenting, analyzing and sharing learnings about the incident or near miss. See the graphic below for details on these activities.

If a pharmacy does not have an incident management platform yet in place, medication incidents and near misses must be recorded locally. A template form is available on the OCP website as an option for pharmacies. 

Graphic: Core Requirements of the AIMS Program

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2. Review the available incident management platforms and sign up with one before January 1, 2027.

Pharmacies now have the flexibility and autonomy to select their own incident management platform as long as it can contribute to the National Incident Data Repository (NIDR) for Community Pharmacies and meet criteria outlined by the College. Pharmacies will be responsible for covering the costs of their chosen reporting platform, while the College will cover the cost to submit data to the NIDR.  

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3. Review the updated supplemental Standard of Practice (sSOP) and understand the new requirements.

The changes to the sSOP which were approved by the Board at the December 2025 Board meeting will take effect on January 1, 2027. The updates to the requirements include the following:

• mandatory unique logins for registered pharmacy staff at their primary place of practice (excluding occasional or relief staff)
• completion of a safety self-assessment at least once every two years
• continuous quality improvement meetings at least once every quarter  

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Stay Informed on the Transition

Please refer to the Changes to the AIMS Program hub for updates on the AIMS transition. Information will also be provided via e-Connect and the College’s social media channels.

The following resources may also be helpful:

• Updated supplemental Standard of Practice (in effect January 1, 2027)
• AIMS Incident Management Platform Criteria for Pharmacies 
• Medication Incident and Near Miss Recording Template  
• Assurance and Improvement in Medication Safety (AIMS) Program webpage